KARACHI:
At least 12 people, including women and children, were killed and six others seriously injured on Friday in a devastating multi-vehicle collision on the M-9 highway near DHA city Karachi, police and rescue volunteers said.
The collision occurred when a passenger coach, traveling in the opposite direction, collided with an oil tanker and a HiAce van on the Ansari bridge. The impact was so severe that many victims were thrown several meters from the bridge to the dirt road below.
The oil tanker, which was traveling from Hyderabad to Karachi, lost control after being hit and overturned on top of the HiAce and another vehicle. A rock-laden trailer following the tanker also collided with it, but narrowly avoided overturning.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Malir said the accident occurred within the jurisdiction of Gadap town police station on the Superhighway link road. Police also confirmed that the passenger coach and HiAce van were traveling against traffic when the fatal collision occurred.
Rescue 1122 teams, along with volunteers from Edhi Foundation and Chhipa Welfare Association, highway police and local officials rushed to the spot and shifted the injured and bodies to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.
Chhipa Association spokesperson Chaudhry Shahid said the dead included four girls, two boys, three women and three men. He said two of the deceased girls were identified as 12-year-old Muniba, daughter of Ameer Jan, and 13-year-old Saba, daughter of Ghulam Jan.
He added that the six injured were identified as Imran, 3 years old, son of Aamir Jan; Abrar, two months, son of Aamir Jan; Rizwan, 14 years old, son of Ghulam Jan; Aafia, 12 years old, daughter of Ghulam Jan; Aman, 25, son of Ghulam Jan; and Raheema, 5 years old, daughter of Ghulam Jan.
The spokesman said identification of the remaining victims was being carried out, adding that all the victims belonged to the same family: children of two royal brothers. The driver of the tanker was identified as 35-year-old Rafiullah.
Additional Inspector General of Highway Police Munir Ahmed Sheikh said vehicles traveling in the wrong direction caused the accident. He said the oil tanker was heading to Karachi, while the HiAce was traveling to Hyderabad and the passenger bus to Sanghar.
“Possibly, the vehicles took the wrong path after refueling,” Sheikh said after visiting the accident site with senior Malir police officials, adding that action would be taken against anyone found negligent.
SSP Malir Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada told the media that both the tanker and the drivers of the HiAce were killed. He said there was an oil leak from the capsized tanker, forcing rescue teams to operate with extreme caution to avoid further disaster.
As a result, two lanes of the highway remained closed and traffic was diverted onto a single lane. Heavy cranes were used to remove the tanker and damaged vehicles and restore traffic flow.
Further investigation revealed that the Karachi-Sanghar passenger coach had entered the wrong lane on the Ansari Bridge, followed by the HiAce. While trying to resume the M-9 towards Hyderabad, the coach collided with the oil tanker, causing the fatal crash.
Edhi officials confirmed that volunteers collected body parts scattered at the accident site and transported them to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. The authorities also sent Karachi’s traffic accident analysis team to the spot and ordered immediate securing of the area.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar expressed deep grief over the tragedy, offered condolences to the bereaved families and directed authorities to provide immediate medical attention to the injured and expedite relief efforts.
In Islamabad, Federal Communications Minister Aleem Khan ordered an immediate investigation into the deadly accident. In a special directive to the inspector general of highway police, he highlighted the need to inspect vehicles entering highways.
He stated that the quality of tires of every vehicle, large or small, entering the highway must be strictly inspected. He categorically urged that vehicles equipped with expired or poor quality tires should not be allowed to travel on the highway under any circumstances.
