KARACHI: The death toll from the tragic traffic accident on the M9 Motorway has risen to 13 after another injured child succumbed to his injuries during treatment at Civil Hospital, Karachi.
Following medico-legal formalities, the child’s body was transported to the Edhi Home cold storage facility in Sohrab Goth by an Edhi ambulance.
The Edhi Foundation also transported the bodies of the 12 family members who lost their lives in the road mishap to their hometown of Kotri in Sindh.
The accident occurred near Ansari Bridge, close to DHA City on the M9 Motorway, when an oil tanker collided with a passenger bus.
Initial reports from police and Rescue 1122 had suggested a higher casualty figure, but later confirmation by Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed stated that 12 people had been killed and six injured at the time.
Rescue officials faced significant challenges during the operation as a large quantity of oil spilled onto the motorway, creating a risk of fire. To avoid sparks, rescue workers refrained from using electrical equipment and manually cut apart the damaged vehicles to retrieve the victims.
Authorities have cited differing causes for the accident. Malir police stated that the passenger bus was travelling in the wrong direction when it collided with the oil tanker, which was en route to Karachi.
The impact caused the tanker to overturn onto a van. Meanwhile, motorway police maintained that the accident occurred after a tyre of the oil tanker burst.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan confirmed that four vehicles were involved in the crash: an oil tanker, a passenger bus, a passenger van and a goods trailer.
Federal Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has taken notice of the incident and directed the motorway inspector general to conduct an immediate inquiry and submit a detailed report.
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