A water tanker collided with a motorcycle late on Saturday night killing two of a family and injuring another near Lucky One Mall in Karachi. The incident sparked outrage with a mob setting ablaze seven vehicles, prompting the Dumper Truck Association to shut down Super Highway and block routes from Sohrab Goth to Thatta.
According to rescue officials, siblings Mahnoor, 22, and Ahmed Raza, 14, were critically injured in the accident near Federal B Area and succumbed to their wounds during treatment while their father, Shakir son of Salahuddin, is undergoing treatment for his injuries.
Police said the tanker driver, identified as Firdous Khan, was caught by an angry mob and beaten before being taken into custody in injured condition.
The enraged mob pelted stationary dumper trucks with stones, setting seven of them on fire. Four of the damaged trucks were near Gulshan Chowrangi on the Sohrab Goth route and three were on the opposite carriageway.
Law enforcement personnel and Sindh Rangers were deployed to restore order, while fire brigade teams extinguished the blazes. Police said 10 suspects have been arrested in connection with the violence, with further arrests expected based on CCTV and video evidence.
Read: Karachi bans heavy vehicles during day to tackle rising accidents
Dumper Truck Association leader Liaquat Mehsud said their protest was in response to the mob's torching of dumper trucks. He criticised the Sindh government for imposing restrictions on the movement of dumper trucks from morning till 10pm and claimed it was damaging for the industry.
He claimed that the authorities were now vying for a complete ban on dumper truck operations and confirmed that all operational points have been closed in protest.
Officials warned that if the blockade continues, the city’s traffic system could face severe disruption as tensions remain high.
A total of 546 people have lost their lives and 8,136 sustained serious injuries in traffic accidents in the city during the current year. Heavy vehicles were responsible for 165 of the fatal accidents involving trailers.
A major factor contributing to the high number of fatalities is reckless driving of heavy vehicles.
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