Five dead in traffic-pile up due to fog

15 injured in incident near Gharo early Sunday morning

THATTA/KARACHI:

Five people were killed and another 15 injured in a multi-vehicle collision caused by dense fog on the National Highway near Gharo early morning on Sunday.

The deadly crash, which involved six vehicles, occurred close to the Sunway Lagoon Water Park early in the morning when the area was enveloped in thick fog.

As per eyewitnesses, a truck loaded with grass was parked on the highway when a truck carrying chickens slammed into it. The impact triggered a chain reaction as several other vehicles collided in rapid succession.

Officials believe poor visibility due to fog, combined with speeding, may have contributed to the deadly crash.

The fatalities have been identified as Shoaib, Rehman, Gul Zaman, Nadeem, and Mooen. Two of them died at the scene, while three others succumbed to their injuries en route to a hospital in Karachi.

The accident caused widespread chaos, with injured victims left unattended on the roadside for hours due to a delay in ambulance services. Local residents and police eventually stepped in to shift the injured to the rural health centre in Gharo. Some of the critically injured were later rushed to hospitals in Karachi, while those with minor injuries were treated and discharged. Police, with the help of a crane, cleared the damaged vehicles and restored the traffic flow on the highway.

Two children among six dead in road accidents

Six people, including two children, were killed in a series of traffic accidents across the metropolitan city on Sunday.

A speeding dumper lost control, crushing a pedestrian near Moach Goth in Baldia Town. The dumper then collided with a passenger van, which subsequently rammed into a rickshaw. The pedestrian, identified as Abdul Jabar, son of Yaqoob, died on the spot, while the rickshaw driver and two female passengers sustained injuries. The errant dumper driver was arrested by police.

Eight-year-old Imran, son of Nazir Ahmed, was run over by a speeding vehicle near Malir Cantt Check Post No 3 graveyard. Imran, who was accompanied by his father, was fatally hit while crossing the road.

Meanwhile, a motorcyclist, 55-year-old Ghulam Hussain, was killed in another hit-and-run incident near Korangi's Chakra Goth.

Separately, a speeding dumper ran over another person at Habib Chowrangi in Site A police limits. The deceased was identified as Adnan, a resident of Orangi Town. The dumper driver fled the scene.

Ten-year-old Muhammad Muaaz was killed in traffic mishap near in Orangi Town and one person was killed and two others injured in a head-on collision between two motorcycles on Nishtar Road near Gulzar Anbiya Masjid.