Speeding dumper crushes biker in Korangi, angry crowd torches vehicle

No let up in accidents involving heavy vehicles despite new e-ticketing system in place in Karachi

Despite the introduction of the city’s modern and automated faceless e-ticketing system, accidents caused by heavy traffic continue unabated in Karachi. A speeding dumper truck hit a motorcycle near Indus Chowrangi, Korangi, killing the rider on the spot and injuring two others. After the accident, enraged citizens set the dumper on fire.

According to the police, traffic officers had signalled the dumper to stop, but the driver ignored the signal and continued at high speed before hitting the motorcycle from behind. As usual, the dumper driver fled the scene and police are 'making efforts' to nab him.

Body of the deceased was shifted to Jinnah Hospital for legal formalities. Police reached the scene promptly and called the fire brigade. Firefighters managed to extinguish the flames, but the front portion of the dumper was completely destroyed.

Read: New face-less e-ticketing system issues fine to Karachi Traffic DIG's vehicle

The deceased was identified as 40-year-old Muhammad Iqrar, son of Muhammad Israr. The Karachi Traffic Enforcement team and dumper owners also reached the accident site. The dumper was seized and shifted to the police station.

According to Akmal Rai, in-charge of the Karachi Traffic Enforcement team, all aspects of the accident have been reviewed. He stated that the driver was speeding excessively and ignored signal of the traffic police officers who were managing the traffic flow. “The dumper came at very high speed without stopping and hit the motorcyclist from behind,” he added. Authorities are trying to determine the exact speed at which the dumper was being driven.

The dumper owners said the vehicle was filled with garbage and was operating under the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board. They added that the fire caused damages worth millions of rupees and demanded legal action against those who set the dumper on fire.

Eyewitnesses and local residents complained that dumper drivers continuously indulge in reckless driving endangering lives of innocent people, while ordinary people face heavy fines for minor violations. They alleged that traffic police often overlook the violations of heavy vehicles.