3 schoolchildren crushed to death by dumper

ABBOTTABAD: Three schoolchildren were killed and four others sustained injuries when a dumper truck hit them on the Karakoram Highway on Friday morning.

It was learnt that the students of Cantonment Board School were crossing the road when they were struck by the dumper, leaving three schoolchildren dead on the spot and another four injured.

The deceased were identified as 10-year-old Rehan, 14-year-old Manal, and 13-year-old Swaab.

The injured included 5-year-old Arwa, 13-year-old Swaira, 15-year-old Yashfa, and 11-year-old Ahtesham.

All the children belonged to the same family and were residents of Banda Phagwarian.

The injured were rushed to Benazir Hospital, where the doctors described their condition as critical.

The dumper driver, Mohsin Khan, fled the scene. The police seized the truck (registration number TKM 060) and registered an FIR at Cantt Police Station on the complaint of the victims’ families.

Raids were being conducted to arrest the accused. Rescue 1122 teams transported the bodies and injured to hospital. The condition of the injured children was reported to be critical.

All the children belong to the same family and were residents of the suburban area Banda Phagwarian in Abbottabad.

Funeral prayers for the deceased were later held in Banda Phagwarian and by a large number of people.

Family members and locals blamed the tragedy on traffic police, alleging that despite deployment of wardens on the seven-kilometre stretch of the Silk Route passing through the city, heavy vehicles were allowed to ply during restricted hours.

Eyewitnesses also accused the traffic police of focusing more on issuing challans than regulating traffic.

SSP Traffic Qamar Hayat Khan confirmed that entry of trucks into the city limits was banned from 7am to 9am. DPO Abbottabad Umar Tufail ordered the driver’s arrest and seizure of the vehicle.

The SSP Traffic also suspended the traffic warden posted at the Sillhad at the time of the accident and ordered an inquiry for strict action against those responsible.