Five picnickers dead, 11 injured in truck-van collision

Four of the victims were natives of Gujrat and were in Karachi
on vacations; van’s driver also killed but truck driver escapes

Five people, including two women and a minor girl, were killed and eight others sustained injuries when an ill-fated Suzuki pick-up van carrying picnickers collided with a trailer on the ICI Bridge in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Docks police SHO Inspector Shaukat Tanoli said 11 people were in the Suzuki pick-up, bearing registration number KD-2812, when it collided with a trailer, bearing registration number JU-8716, on the ICI Bridge. 

The SHO said two people riding a motorcycle, bearing registration number KDR-6827, were also injured in this accident.

Four people, including two women, died during initial treatment at the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), while a minor girl succumbed to her injuries during treatment on Wednesday afternoon.

Tanoli said the trailer driver managed to flee from the spot but his associate was arrested. The trailer has also been seized by the police. 

An FIR was registered on the complaint of Ahmed Javed against, the trailer driver, Tauseef

Talking to The News, Keamari SP Arif Aziz said the complainant told the police that his relatives hailed from Gujrat and they were on vacations in Karachi. 

After having a picnic at the beach and paying their respects at the Abdullah Shah Ghazi shrine, they were returning to home when they met with the accident. 

SP Aziz said the trailer owner, Malik Asghar, had been contacted who assured that he would reach Karachi before Thursday morning. Aziz said the trailer owner had also assured that he would bring the driver, Tauseef, with him. 

Docks police Head Moharrar (HM) Abid Ali said the deceased were identified as pick-up driver Muhammad Ramzan, 38, son of Sultan Muhammad, Farzana, 40, wife of Shafique, Samina, 65, wife of Akhtar, Munir, 12, son of Shafique and five-year-old Amna, daughter of Shafique. 

The ones who sustained injuries are Adil, 23, son of Muhammad Javed, Umair, 21, son of Muhammad Javed, Munawara, 12, daughter of Muhammad Javed, Abdul Rehman, 15, son of Shafique, Fouzia, 42, wife of Shafique and Robina, 35, daughter of Muhammad Shahzad.

Ali said the injured motorcyclists were identified as Kabil Khan, 45, son of Fateh Khan and Naimatullah, 17, son of Qabil Khan.