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 Karachi’s DHA town, police and rescue workers said.
The accident occurred when a coach traveling in the wrong direction rammed into an oil tanker and a HiAce van at Ansari Bridge. The impact was so violent that many victims were thrown several meters from the bridge onto the dirt road below.
The tanker, traveling from Hyderabad to Karachi, lost control after being hit and overturned on the HiAce and another vehicle. A trailer loaded with stones that was following the tanker also hit 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 Super Highway link road. Police also confirmed the 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, motorway 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 victims included four girls, two boys, three women and three men. He said two of the deceased girls were identified as Muniba, 12, daughter of Ameer Jan, and Saba, 13, daughter of Ghulam Jan.
He added that the six injured were identified as Imran, 3, son of Aamir Jan; Abrar, two months old, son of Aamir Jan; Rizwan, 14 years old, son of Ghulam Jan; Aafia, 12 years old, daughter of Ghulam Jan; Aman, 25 years old, son of Ghulam Jan; and Raheema, 5, daughter of Ghulam Jan.
The spokesperson said the identification of the other victims was underway, adding that all the victims belonged to the same family – the children of two real brothers. The driver of the tanker was identified as Rafiullah, 35.
Additional Inspector General of Motorway Police Munir Ahmed Sheikh said vehicles traveling in the wrong direction were the cause of the accident. He said the tanker was heading towards Karachi, while the HiAce was heading towards Hyderabad and the passenger bus towards Sanghar.
“It is possible that the vehicles took the wrong route after refueling,” Sheikh said after visiting the accident site with senior Malir police officials, adding that action would be taken against anyone found negligent.
Dr. Abdul Khaliq Pirzada of SSP Malir told media that the tanker and drivers of the HiAce were killed. He said oil was leaking from the overturned tanker, forcing rescue teams to operate with extreme caution to avoid further disaster.
As a result, two lanes of the highway remained closed, with traffic diverted to one lane. Heavy cranes were called in to remove the damaged tanker and vehicles and restore traffic flow.
Further investigation revealed that the Karachi-Sanghar coach entered the wrong lane on Ansari Bridge, followed by the HiAce. While trying to join the M-9 towards Hyderabad, the coach collided with the tanker, triggering a fatal pileup.
Edhi officials confirmed that scattered body parts were recovered from the accident site and taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital by volunteers. The authorities also dispatched the Karachi Road Accident Analysis Team to the site and ordered immediate security of the area.
Sindh Interior Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar expressed deep sadness over the tragedy, offered condolences to the bereaved families and ordered authorities to provide immediate medical care to the injured and expedite relief efforts.
In Islamabad, Federal Minister for Communications Aleem Khan ordered an immediate probe into the fatal accident. In a special directive to the Inspector General of Highway Police, he stressed the need for monitoring of vehicles entering the highway.
He said the quality of tires of every vehicle, large or small, entering the highway must be strictly inspected. He categorically ordered that vehicles with expired or substandard tires should not be allowed to ply on the highway under any circumstances.
