Road safety: Five children run over by truck in Dera Ghazi Khan

The children were on a motorcycle driven by a 14-year-old.

MULTAN:

Five children hit by a speeding truck in Dera Ghazi Khan on Monday have died. The truck driver has been arrested and the vehicle seized.

The accident took place at around 12:30 pm on the National Highway near Sarwarwali area, a village between Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan.

Police said the children, all between seven to 14-years-old, were on their way home from a summer school held at Rashid Public School.

They said the children were riding a motorcycle that was being driven by the eldest of them, Muhammad Zubair, 14. His sister, Asma, 8, and neighbouring children Muhammad Akhtar Mujahid, 7, Javeria Mujahid, 8, and Aqeel Mujahid, 9, accompanied him.

Witnesses said as soon as Zubair, a class 8 student, got on the road, the motorcycle skidded in front of the basic health unit due to a crack in the road. They said the children fell on the road. While they were trying to assemble themselves and their bags, a speeding truck ran over them, killing them on the spot.

Passers-by ran to the rescue and caught the driver, Muhammad Ismaeel. Witnesses speculated that the driver did not apply brake on time. The bodies were handed over to the families, who did not agree for post-mortem examinations.

They have registered a complaint with the Daraana police against the driver. Daraana police SHO Rana Muhammad Iqbal said investigations had begun.

He said the suspect would be produced before a court on Wednesday (tommorow).

An FIR has been registered on the complaint of the children’s parents.

Meanwhile, the bodies of the children were laid to rest after funeral prayers at their native town.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2012.