Driver flees as angry crowd sets vehicle on fire following death of pedestrian in Gulistan-e-Johar
KARACHI:
A pedestrian was killed in a road accident involving a speeding water tanker near Perfume Chowk in Gulistan-e-Johar on Saturday, sparking public outrage and violent protests.
According to police, the tanker ran over a man, leaving him seriously injured. He was being rushed to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center when he succumbed to his injuries on the way. The victim was identified as Nasir, 50, son of Allah Wasaaya. Nasir was a resident of Johar.
Witnesses described the accident as horrific, with panic and chaos at the scene. An angry crowd set the water tanker on fire, while the driver managed to save his life and escape from the scene. While some reports suggest the driver may have been assaulted by members of the public before escaping.
Upon receiving information, the police, including personnel from Sharae Faisal Police Station, reached the spot and brought the situation under control. Fire crews from Gulistan-e-Johar fire station were also called and managed to extinguish the fire affecting the front of the tanker.
Station House Officer (SHO) Imtiaz Hussain said police are investigating the incident, collecting eyewitness accounts and reviewing CCTV footage to ascertain the exact circumstances of the accident. The victim’s body was taken to the hospital.
Meanwhile, two women lost their lives and a man was injured in separate road accidents on Peoples Chowrangi and Mauripur Road, police said. The injured man is the husband of one of the deceased women.
According to details, a woman riding a motorcycle was killed and a man injured after being hit by a bus near Peoples Chowrangi in Jamshed Quarters area. Both victims were taken to the Civil Hospital, where the deceased woman was identified as Saima, 35, and the injured man as Imran, 40. The couple were residents of an area near Safoora Chowrangi. The authorities detained the bus and its driver.
In a separate incident, a 25-year-old female pedestrian died after being hit by a cargo truck near Peoples Stadium on Mauripur Road in Kalri area. His body was also taken to the Civil Hospital.
The identity of the second deceased woman could not immediately be determined. The body was taken to the morgue for identification by relatives.
