Murree accident: Police told to deploy more wardens along danger zone

Commissioner wants more measures in place to avert accidents in future.

RAWALPINDI:

After the deadly accident in Murree that left 12 passengers dead and over 19 injured, the Rawalpindi administration has finally decided to put necessary measures in place to curb such road accidents in the future.

At a meeting held here at the Commissioner Office, it was revealed that during the last 13 months, 12 fatal accidents took place in the red zone — a six kilometre stretch from Trat to Salgran Bridge.

The meeting, chaired by Rawalpindi Commissioner Khalid Masood Chaudhry, was also attended by Rawalpindi Regional Police Officer Akhtar Hayat Lalika, Chief Traffic Officer Ishtiak Shah, the Murree assistant commissioner, Rescue 1122 officials, the NHA director and others.

The commissioner ordered the traffic police to deploy extra traffic wardens in the red zone with speed cameras and the installation of more reflectors and traffic warning signs.



At least 12 people were killed and more than 20 injured on Wednesday night when two passenger buses fell into a ravine after colliding with each other while racing through the Salgran area.

It was also decided in the meeting that strict action would be taken against the owners of antiquated buses and bus deemed not to be roadworthy would be barred from the route.

An official who attended the meeting told The Express Tribune that Rescue 1122 officials complained about a shortage of floodlights to conduct rescue operation in hilly areas, to which the commissioner immediately directed the city government to provide more floodlights to the emergency service.

Source said that it was also recommended in the meeting that heavy traffic should be barred from GT Road and diverted to the Expressway.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) spokesperson Dr Ayesha Eshani said that 13 of the injured were admitted to the hospital.

She said two women who were in critical are in the intensive care unit. Dr Eshani added that 11 bodies and one critically injured man were brought to the hospital after the accident. She said Asif, 26, who was in critical condition, died overnight. She said that all the bodies were handed over to their relatives after legal formalities were completed.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2014.