Sinkhole near Hotel Metropole causes traffic disruption

Soon after, a truck tipped over with its rear wheels stuck in the crater

KARACHI: A portion of the Club Road - one of the city's busiest thoroughfares - near Hotel Metropole, caved in on Monday morning, disrupting traffic flow and once again bringing the city's crumbling infrastructure into the spotlight.

Soon after the incident, a video started circulating on social media, showing an overturned truck tipped over with its rear wheels stuck in the crater. The heavy vehicle was transporting containers of milk which could be seen spilled on the road near the Sindh Governor’s House.

According to officials, the sinkhole had been formed due to the collapse of a 54-inch sewerage line. Several hours later, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board officials arrived at the site to begin repairs on the sewerage, which, the KWSB MD Asadullah Khan said was at least five decades old.

WATCH: Truck topples over as part of Karachi's Club Road caves in

Khan directed the officials to complete the repair as soon as possible. Meanwhile, KWSB officials at the site said that the repair work could take up to three days.

Meanwhile, the road from Hotel Metropole to the PIDC was closed for traffic. According to traffic police officials, vehicular traffic moving from the PIDC Chowk to Club Road was diverted to the Ziauddin Road. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2019.