A preliminary postmortem of four bodies recovered from a manhole near Mai Kolachi Road in Karachi has revealed horrifying signs of torture, police said on Saturday.

The victims — a 10-year-old boy, a 14-year-old boy, a teenage girl, and a woman in her 40s —showed multiple injuries to their heads, faces, and necks, indicating they had suffered severe violence before their deaths.

Authorities said the bodies were several days old and had been wrapped in blankets and dumped in a dry manhole, with large stones placed on top.

Samples have been taken for chemical analysis, and the exact cause of death will be confirmed once the full laboratory reports are released.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed reported that the bodies appeared to be several days old.

One boy, aged approximately 13-14, had visible injuries to his head, face, and neck.

A second boy, around 10 years old, was found with his throat slit. A teenage girl, around 14-15 years old, showed signs of trauma to her head, face, and neck.

The fourth body, identified as that of a woman around 40 years old, bore multiple injuries to her head.

Samples have been taken from all four bodies for chemical analysis.

According to preliminary police investigations, the victims were reportedly rendered semi-conscious before being killed.

The bodies were wrapped in blankets and dumped in a dry manhole. Large stones were placed on top of the blankets, authorities said.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has taken notice of the case and ordered the police and relevant agencies to conduct an immediate investigation.

The identities of the four victims remain unknown. The exact cause of death will be confirmed once the full post-mortem reports are released.

Following the examinations, the bodies were transferred to the Edhi morgue.