Second oil tanker overturns in Submarine Chowrangi underpass

Traffic movement suspended for over five hours due to accident

KARACHI: The newly constructed underpass at Submarine Chowrangi remained closed for traffic for at least five hours on Thursday after the second tanker overturned in it in two days.The tanker was carrying 50,000 litres of oil and was on its way from Boat Basin to Port Qasim when it slid out of control. The tanker fell on its side and oil began to spill from it. Fortunately, no loss of life was reported in the incident.

The traffic police closed the underpass for vehicular traffic, which caused difficulties for commuters as a massive traffic jam developed for at least five hours in the surrounding areas of the underpass.

The Traffic police's Gizri section officer, Zulfiqar Ali, said that the mishap took place at around 3:30pm and that traffic resumed at 8:30pm after the spilt oil was cleaned.

He said that the reason behind the second consecutive mishap has yet to be ascertained. Engineers are trying to ascertain whether they were accidents or due to a technical fault in the construction of the underpass.