KARACHI: Independence Day celebrations turned deadly across Karachi as celebratory aerial firing left one woman dead and 94 others injured, including 17 children, rescue officials said on Friday.

An Edhi Foundation spokesperson confirmed the injury toll had climbed to 94, with the wounded comprising 10 women, 17 children and 59 men. The woman’s death, rescue sources said, occurred during the same wave of celebratory gunfire that swept the city.

The injured were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Civil Hospital and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for treatment, rescue officials said.

Hospital officials gave a breakdown of the casualties brought in over the course of the night. Abbasi Shaheed Hospital received 24 patients, including one woman, four children and 19 men, while Jinnah Hospital took in 35 people, among them three children, four women and 28 men.

Civil Hospital’s trauma centre, meanwhile, treated 26 patients, including 10 children, four women and 12 men, hospital administration said.

The firing incidents were reported from several parts of the city, including Lyari, Saddar, Korangi, Malir, Azizabad, North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, Gulbahar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Orangi Town, Jamshed Quarters and Defence.

Over 30 arrested, weapons recovered

Police said they had arrested 30 suspects allegedly involved in aerial firing from Karachi’s eastern, western and central districts.

The arrests were made in areas including Hyderi Market, Bilal Colony, Liaquatabad, New Karachi, Taimuria, Azizabad, Joharabad and Gulbahar, police said, adding that arrests were also made within the jurisdictions of Khwaja Ajmer Nagri, Samanabad, Rizvia Society and Sir Syed police stations.

Police said various types of weapons were recovered from the suspects.

In Gulshan-e-Iqbal, police arrested a security guard allegedly involved in aerial firing and recovered a weapon from him, police said. Two other suspects were arrested from Orangi Town and Iqbal Market over alleged involvement in aerial firing, according to the SSP West.

Woman killed in separate firing incident

In an unrelated incident at a hotel in Paposh Nagar’s Sarafa Bazaar, a woman was killed when a pistol allegedly discharged accidentally, police said.

According to police, the pistol was placed on a table with a round still in its chamber. It discharged when the weapon was being handled, striking the woman.

She was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where she later died.

Police arrested the accused, identified as Imran, and recovered a 9mm pistol from him. The suspect is the woman’s cousin, according to police.

Authorities have repeatedly warned residents against aerial firing during celebrations, saying bullets fired into the air can fall back to the ground and seriously injure or kill people.

Karachi has witnessed repeated casualties from celebratory firing during Independence Day festivities in recent years. In 2025, three people were killed and at least 75 others were injured in similar incidents. In 2024, about 95 people were injured in aerial firing incidents during Independence Day celebrations.