Pothole-hit roads leave 100 dead, over 1,000 injured in Karachi in two months

KARACHI: Karachi’s deteriorating road network has turned into a serious public safety issue, with potholes and damaged streets contributing to a rising number of deaths and injuries across the city.

According to a report by a local welfare organisation, 100 people were killed in traffic accidents linked to potholes in Karachi during the first two months of 2026, while 1,048 others were injured. The dead included 73 men, 12 women, 13 boys and two girls. Among the injured were 838 men, 145 women, 49 boys and 16 girls.

The report also highlighted the scale of the problem in January alone, when 80 people lost their lives and 873 were injured in road accidents. Those killed included 59 men, nine women and 14 children, while the injured comprised 695 men, 125 women and 39 children.

Residents affected by the road conditions described the physical and financial toll of such accidents. Adil, a daily-wage worker from Liaquatabad Post Office, said he was riding at night with his wife when he failed to spot a pothole in the dark and fell from his motorcycle. He suffered a fracture in his right leg, while his wife sustained injuries to both hands.

In another case, Javed, a cameraman with a private television channel, said he broke his arm after his motorcycle skidded on a damaged road while travelling from Jahangir Road.

Medical professionals said motorcycle crashes frequently result in broken limbs. Dr Muhammad Suleman, Joint Director of Orthopaedics at Jinnah Hospital, said there was a 90 per cent chance of fractures to the arms and legs in falls from motorcycles.

Heavy vehicles have also played a major role in the increasing death toll. Trailers were linked to 10 deaths, while dumpers, water tankers, buses and Mazdas were responsible for dozens more. In January, 21 people were killed in accidents involving heavy vehicles.

Night-time travel was described as especially dangerous because of potholes, broken asphalt and poor street lighting. Several major roads and intersections were identified as being in bad shape, including the Safora Goth-NIPA Chowrangi road, Hasan Square and Jail Chowrangi, where development work has remained delayed since 2022.

Other areas cited in the report included Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 13D near Rab Medical Center, Maskan Chowrangi, Sehba Akhter Road, Abul Hasan Isphahani Road, Liaquatabad to Hasan Square, and Liaquatabad No. 10 to Nazimabad. It also listed Shahrah-e-Ibne Sina near Shuhada Mosque, UP Mor in North Karachi, Jail Chowrangi to Mazar-e-Quaid, Jail Road to Jamshed Road, Jahangir Road, Gurumandir Chowrangi to Patel Para Road, MA Jinnah Road, Tibet Center, Nishtar Road Garden, as well as suburban stretches from Safora to Kiran Hospital Road, Gulzar-e-Hijri Road and Jamali Bridge to Safora.

Citizens also urged authorities to act, warning that the city’s worsening infrastructure was exacting a growing human and economic cost.