Three killed as dumper runs over students

Five others critically injured; all victims belong to same extended family

ABBOTTABAD:

A road accident near Lady Garden, Abbottabad, claimed the lives of three schoolchildren and left five others critically injured when a dumper truck ran over a group of students from Cantonment Board School as they crossed the road early on Friday morning.

According to initial reports, the deceased were identified as 10-year-old Rehan, 14-year-old Manal, and 13-year-old Sawab. The injured students included 5-year-old Urooba, 13-year-old Sawera, 15-year-old Yashfa, and 11-year-old Ehtesham. All the victims belonged to Banda Phugwariyan, a suburban locality of Abbottabad.

The dumper driver, Mohsin Khan, fled the scene immediately after the accident. However, police seized the truck (registration number TKM-060) and registered a case at Cantonment Police Station under Sections 279, 337, 320, and 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Raids are underway to arrest the absconding driver.

Rescue 1122 teams shifted the deceased and injured to Abbottabad DHQ Hospital, where doctors described the condition of the injured children as critical.

Sources confirmed that all the victims belonged to the same extended family. Funeral prayers for the deceased were offered in Banda Phugwariyan, attended by a large number of mourners.

Family members and local residents blamed the tragedy on the negligence of traffic police, alleging that despite dozens of wardens deployed along the 7-kilometer Silk Route within the city, heavy vehicles are often allowed to pass during restricted hours. Eyewitnesses at the protest site further alleged that wardens are more focused on issuing challans—reportedly receiving a 30% share of collections—than on regulating traffic to prevent such incidents.

SSP Traffic Qamar Hayat Khan confirmed that trucks are banned from entering the city between 7am and 9am, raising questions about how the dumper gained access during restricted hours. DPO Abbottabad Umar Tufail (PSP) took immediate notice, ordering strict legal action against the driver and the seizure of the vehicle.