Karachi mob burns seven dumpers after two siblings crushed to death

• Dumper hits motorbike carrying 3 on Rashid Minhas Road.
• Two siblings die while being rushed to hospital, say police.
• Traffic on affected road suspended after 7 dumpers torched.

KARACHI: An infuriated mob in Karachi set fire to at least seven dumper trucks after two siblings were crushed to death by one of the vehicles in a road accident on Rashid Minhas Road in the early hours of Sunday.

The incident took place late in the night between Saturday and Sunday in the metropolis's Federal B Area, where the truck ran over the motorcycle. 

Speaking to reporters, SP Gulberg Iqbal Shaikh said that the motorcycle was carrying a father, his son, and daughter at the time of the collision.

The three sustained injuries in the incident; however, the siblings  — 22-year-old Mahnoor and 14-year-old Ahmed Raza — later succumbed to their wounds, he added.

Following the accident, residents in the area became enraged, setting fire to several dumper trucks.

The officer said the dumper truck driver was assaulted by residents before being taken into custody in an injured state.

He confirmed that seven dumper trucks were torched, with operations underway to clear the charred vehicles from the road. 

A spokesperson for police said dumper driver was arrested on the spot while 10 suspects involved in the torching of the dumpers were also taken into custody.

The spokesperson added that more arrests will be made with the help of CCTV footages.

Traffic on Rashid Minhas Road was suspended after the incident and is being diverted from the Sohrab Goth flyover towards the Sharea Pakistan Water Pump.

Dumpers association blocks Superhighway 

All Pakistan Dumpers Association staged a sit-in on Superhighway to protest against the torching of the seven trucks, blocking both tracks of the main artery for the traffic.

Traffic has been diverted from Punjab Adda to Sohrab Goth police station, the traffic police said in statement.

They said traffic has been diverted from Adil Shah bus stop to Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

"We will not leave until the accused are arrested," dumper association President Liaquat Mehsud said in a statement claiming that nine of their vehicles were damaged by the protesters.

However, the protest has since then ended following successful negotiations between the police and the association, and the Super Highway has been opened for traffic.

"Those who burn dumpers should be arrested within 72 hours," the alliance said while calling for compensation by the Sindh government and claimed that as many as 33 dumpers had been set ablaze in recent months.

Speaking to the media, the brother of injured man said Shakir suffered severe head injuries in the accident and was admitted to Jinnah hospital.

"Injured father don't know if their son or daughter has died," said Zakir, the brother of injured man.

He said the affected family was returning home from Malir area when it met with fatal accident.

Zakir said 22-year-old Mahnoor was to get married next month. "We want justice, this is an appeal, these accidents should be stopped," he demanded.

Meanwhile, a case has been registered at the Yousuf Plaza Police Station at the request of the victims' uncle, which includes a section related to unintentional murder.

Governor Tessori grieved by accident 

Expressing deep sorrow over the loss of two lives, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori prayed for the swift recovery of the injured father, according to a statement issued by the Governor House.

He also called upon the residents to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.

Tessori directed the Sindh government to ensure strict punishment for the driver found responsible and to control the “dumper mafia”.

"The Sindh government should rein in the dumper mafia that is endangering people’s lives," he stressed.