Seven killed as bus rams into trailer

Seven people, including three women, three girls and a boy, were killed and 29 were injured when a speeding coaster heading to Hawke’s Bay for a picnic met with a horrific accident near Gate No6 of the New Truck Stand on Mauripur Road on Sunday morning.

The condition of seven injured individuals is critical. The deceased and injured in the horrific accident were residents of Azizabad, Bhanguria Goth, and Barfat Goth, all belonging to the same family and neighbourhood.

The bus was buzzing with laughter and excitement of 44 people, mostly women and children going for a picnic on the beach when suddenly the crash occurred.

Songs and laughter changed into cries and sobs.

According to the police, the driver lost control of the vehicle due to speeding and collided with a trailer taking a U-turn, after which it overturned onto the sidewalk.

The coaster’s driver was injured in the accident, while the trailer’s driver fled the scene.

Upon receiving information about the accident, police, Edhi Foundation, Chhipa Welfare, and volunteers from other welfare organizations reached the scene immediately. They rescued the injured from the overturned coaster and transported them to the Trauma Center of Civil Hospital.

The hospital administration confirmed the deaths of three women, three girls, and a teenage boy. Those who lost their lives in the horrific accident include 40-year-old Sughra, wife of Ghulam Nabi; 40-year-old Sadia, wife of Ahmed; 45-year-old Zakia, daughter of Abdul Ghaffar; five-year-old Sakina, daughter of Manzoor Alam; four-year-old Zeenat Hayat, daughter of Waqas; 12-year-old Kinza, also known as Mahnoor, daughter of Ahmed Umar; and 14-year-old teenage boy Qadeer, son of Abdul Jabbar.

According to the Civil Hospital administration, 7 bodies and 29 injured people were brought to the Civil Trauma Center. The condition of 7 injured individuals is critical, while 11 people were sent home after receiving immediate medical treatment.

Chaudhry Zahid, the in-charge of the truck stand checkpoint of the Mauripur police station, told the media that a trailer was taking a U-turn near Gate No6 of the New Truck Stand on Mauripur Road, when a speeding coaster coming from the direction of Shershah Gulbai lost control, collided with the rear of the trailer, and overturned onto the sidewalk.

Zahid said though the truck driver escaped, police have impounded the vehicle. The trailer was also hauled to the police station with a crane. He said police are trying to obtain CCTV footage of the accident to determine its cause.