A young man was killed on Monday after a driver of a water tanker crushed him while reversing in Gulshan-i-Iqbal in another example of accidents involving heavy vehicles in Karachi.
The city has lately witnessed a rise in traffic accidents, especially involving heavy vehicles, including dumpers and water tankers, which killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 in 2024, according to hospital data.
Speaking to Dawn.com, Gulshan Superintendent of Police (SP) Ahmed Iqbal Memon said: “The tanker driver was reversing a vehicle in Block-6 when he ran over the man identified as 17-year-old Karimullah and killed him,” adding that the victim was the conductor of the same tanker.
The errant driver managed to escape from the spot, leaving behind the tanker, which was seized by police, the officer said. adding that the incident occurred at 5am.
In a separate incident, a teenager was killed while his brother was injured in an accident in Korangi early in the morning.
Zaman Town Station House Officer (SHO) Ghulam Nabi Afridi told Dawn.com that the brothers were riding a motorcycle, which went out of their control ostensibly due to over-speeding, and hit a footpath near Nasir Jump.
They suffered critical injuries and were moved to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where 17-year-old Fahad was pronounced dead while 20-year-old Abdul Rauf was admitted for treatment.
The officer said the family told the police that they did not want any legal proceedings.
In a third incident, a bike rider was killed in Shah Faisal Colony early in the morning. Shah Faisal Colony police acting SHO Abdul Ghani said 18-year-old Athar Ali was riding the bike when he was injured in an accident near the Data restaurant.
“He was taken to a private hospital where doctors pronounced him dead,” the SHO said, adding that the body was moved to JPMC for legal formalities.
The officer said it was definitely an accident, but it was being ascertained whether any vehicle had hit him.
In pursuance of the continued efforts of the provincial government to control the menace of accidents in Karachi, the city administration last week extended the complete ban imposed on heavy vehicles in the city during daytime for another two months.
A total of nine dumpers and water tankers were set on fire by angry mobs on April 9 near the main road leading to 4-K Chowrangi after a heavy vehicle hit a bike rider.
