March-22 accident: Inquiry apportions blame for Hub tragedy
Fact Finding Commission says negligence of NHA, Coast Guards, Motorway Police (MP), Customs caused the nasty pile-up.
Onlookers gather near the burnt wreckage of a passenger bus in Hub, near Gadani on March 22, 2014. PHOTO: AFP
QUETTA:
The Fact Finding Commission (FFC) has held Coast Guards, National Highway Authority (NHA), Motorway Police (PM), Customs and security forces responsible for the deadly March-22 accident in Hub, a nasty pile-up in which more than 33 passengers, including women and children, had burnt to death.
A passenger bus was en route to Karachi from Turbat when it collided with a truck and caught fire. Both the passenger bus and truck were carrying smuggled fuel which caused a huge explosion.
The FFC, headed by Commissioner Kalat Division Akbar Arifal, submitted its report to the Balochistan government. A copy of the report is available with The Express Tribune.
The main causes of the accident is said to be the illegal transportation of oil/inflammable fuel in public transport, the poor maintenance of roads, rash driving and inappropriate implementation of traffic laws.
The instant cause of this gory accident, the report says, is highest degree of traffic indiscipline exhibited by the drivers.
“Coast Guards failed to check such a prominent smuggling activity on a main route,” it said, and expressed surprise at how “stoically” they refused to come and help the commission complete its inquiry.
It also put the blame for the crash on National Highway Authority (NHA) and Motorway Police (MP), which did not perform their duty of identifying, marking and repairing the pothole where the accident occurred.
It says the Customs is also responsible as it was unable to monitor these smuggling activities, “which are so prominent that even a common man can identify transportation of such goods”.
The commission makes several recommendations and emphasises that the NHA repair maintenance system should be improved.
The report suggests establishment of NHA and Motorway Police call centres and keeping a record of passengers by making videos on toll plazas.
It laments that victims, other than the navy personnel, are not being compensated and urges the government to make the payouts quickly.
“The legal action should be taken against the drivers and owners by the police for criminal negligence,” it adds.
The commission says in order to avert such accidents in the future, the Coast Guards must ensure that no smuggling and movement of diesel or oil takes place in the area.
It may be mentioned that there are open oil terminals in the border areas, where loading and unloading of oil and diesel smuggled from Iranian Sistan-Balochestan takes place. Senior officials are said to be involved in the lucrative ‘big business’.
Deceased driver not guilty
The FFC, however, does not find a deceased truck driver – nominated as the prime accused in the FIR – as guilty.
“It is pertinent to mention here that the deceased truck driver, Nasir Ali, in the 3rd fatal accident could not be found guilty of violation,” said the report. The driver was the prime accused, whose reckless driving and carrying smuggled oil were cited as the main causes for the road tragedy.
According to the report, the commission suggested the police must enter the name of first truck’s (TAB 151) driver as accused and should make all-out effort to arrest him.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 15th, 2014.
The Fact Finding Commission (FFC) has held Coast Guards, National Highway Authority (NHA), Motorway Police (PM), Customs and security forces responsible for the deadly March-22 accident in Hub, a nasty pile-up in which more than 33 passengers, including women and children, had burnt to death.
A passenger bus was en route to Karachi from Turbat when it collided with a truck and caught fire. Both the passenger bus and truck were carrying smuggled fuel which caused a huge explosion.
The FFC, headed by Commissioner Kalat Division Akbar Arifal, submitted its report to the Balochistan government. A copy of the report is available with The Express Tribune.
The main causes of the accident is said to be the illegal transportation of oil/inflammable fuel in public transport, the poor maintenance of roads, rash driving and inappropriate implementation of traffic laws.
The instant cause of this gory accident, the report says, is highest degree of traffic indiscipline exhibited by the drivers.
“Coast Guards failed to check such a prominent smuggling activity on a main route,” it said, and expressed surprise at how “stoically” they refused to come and help the commission complete its inquiry.
It also put the blame for the crash on National Highway Authority (NHA) and Motorway Police (MP), which did not perform their duty of identifying, marking and repairing the pothole where the accident occurred.
It says the Customs is also responsible as it was unable to monitor these smuggling activities, “which are so prominent that even a common man can identify transportation of such goods”.
The commission makes several recommendations and emphasises that the NHA repair maintenance system should be improved.
The report suggests establishment of NHA and Motorway Police call centres and keeping a record of passengers by making videos on toll plazas.
It laments that victims, other than the navy personnel, are not being compensated and urges the government to make the payouts quickly.
“The legal action should be taken against the drivers and owners by the police for criminal negligence,” it adds.
The commission says in order to avert such accidents in the future, the Coast Guards must ensure that no smuggling and movement of diesel or oil takes place in the area.
It may be mentioned that there are open oil terminals in the border areas, where loading and unloading of oil and diesel smuggled from Iranian Sistan-Balochestan takes place. Senior officials are said to be involved in the lucrative ‘big business’.
Deceased driver not guilty
The FFC, however, does not find a deceased truck driver – nominated as the prime accused in the FIR – as guilty.
“It is pertinent to mention here that the deceased truck driver, Nasir Ali, in the 3rd fatal accident could not be found guilty of violation,” said the report. The driver was the prime accused, whose reckless driving and carrying smuggled oil were cited as the main causes for the road tragedy.
According to the report, the commission suggested the police must enter the name of first truck’s (TAB 151) driver as accused and should make all-out effort to arrest him.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 15th, 2014.