10-year-old among 4 killed, 1 injured in Karachi accidents

Four people, including a 10-year-old, were killed, while one was injured in three separate accidents across Karachi, police said on Friday.

Rules restricting the movement of heavy vehicles were recently implemented in the metropolis amid rising traffic accidents involving dumpers and tankers and protests over the deaths of citizens.

Earlier this month, the provincial government banned the entry of heavy vehicles into the city during the daytime, only allowing them to operate from 11pm to 6am.

Exemptions, however, were granted to trucks carrying water, petroleum products, medicines, meat and other essential goods.

The Sindh government has also made it mandatory for all heavy vehicles in Karachi to have a physical fitness certificate amid the rising number of traffic accidents involving dumper trucks.

According to Aziz Bhatti police Station House Officer (SHO) Saeed Ahmed Dharejo, a man was killed, and his friend was injured when a water tanker hit them on main University Road near Sunday Bazaar today.

SHO Dharejo told media.com: “The victims were on their way towards Safoora while riding the bike when the tanker hit them from behind at around 3:30pm, killing Haris Saleem, 28, on the spot while Ahmed, 18, was injured.”

The dead and injured were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), SHO Dharejo said, adding that the errant driver managed to escape.

According to Rescue 1122 official Hassaan Khan, the mob subsequently set the tanker on fire, which was destroyed before the firemen arrived.

Ittehad Town police SHO Javed Akhtar said that a recklessly driven passenger mini-bus route of W-25 hit and killed 10-year-old passerby Khadim Husain in Qaimkhani Colony near Ayesha Masjid.

The driver escaped, leaving behind the vehicle that was impounded by the police, SHO Akhtar told media.com.

The officer said the mob gathered there and tried to damage the mini-bus, but the police prevented them.

In the third incident, a journalist — who also worked as a bykea rider — and his purported passenger were killed in a hit-and-run incident on main Sharea Faisal early in the morning.

Tipu Sultan police SHO Tariq Mehmood said that the victims were on their way towards Saddar when a car hit them from behind.

They suffered critical injuries and were taken to the JPMC, where both of them were pronounced dead on arrival, the SHO said.

The victims were identified as Tashkeel Haider Sandelo, who had worked in different media organisations, and Saqib Imtiaz, the passenger.

SHO Mehmood said they had obtained CCTV footage from the spot to ascertain the possible identity of the car rider.