Motorist killed as oil tanker flips over car

Oil spill disrupted traffic on both lanes of Shaheed-e-Millat Expressway for hours

KARACHI:

An unsuspecting motorist died when an oil tanker carrying 40,000 litres of jet fuel overturned onto his car on the Baloch Colony Bridge late Wednesday night. The crash also led to a massive oil spill on the busy thoroughfare, complicating rescue efforts and traffic management amid fears that the highly inflammable oil could cause a tragedy.

Emergency response teams rushed to the site to prevent any eventuality. They applied sand on the road as a precautionary measure due to the hazardous nature of the spilled fuel.

Initially, concerns were raised about a family being trapped in the car, prompting urgent deployment of cranes to lift the heavy tanker. However, the first cranes proved inadequate, necessitating a three-hour delay until a heavy-duty crane reached to lift the tanker and recover the body from the car.

The victim was identified as 48-year-old Syed Asad Ali Zaidi, a senior editor at a private production house who leaves behind a grieving family. The body was handed over to heirs after medico-legal formalities at JPMC. His funeral was later held at Ancholi, following which he was laid to rest at Wadi-e-Hussain cemetery along Superhighway.

"The situation was critical due to the oil spill, which posed a risk of further accidents," said Zulfiqar Ali, Fire Officer of Manzoor Colony Fire Station, stressing the need for careful operations to prevent sparks igniting the spilled oil.

According to DIG Traffic Ahmed Nawaz Cheema, the accident took place due to a mechanical fault that caused the tanker's garage to detach from its engine, leading to the overturn onto a passing car. The tanker was enroute to Karachi Airport at the time of the accident.

As a safety protocols, the fuel was transferred to another tanker before the overturned vehicle was removed from the scene, he added.

Following the incident, traffic diversions were put in place, although commuters faced significant delays during the morning rush hour in areas such as Sharea Faisal, Shaheed-e-Millat Expressway, Qayyumabad, Korangi Crossing, and Korangi Industrial Area as both lanes on the Baloch Colony bridge remained closed for hours.