Pedestrian killed in tanker crash as angry crowd sets vehicle ablaze in Karachi

KARACHI: A pedestrian died after being hit by a speeding water tanker near Perfume Chowk in Gulistan-e-Johar on Saturday, police said, with the incident sparking public anger and violent protests at the scene.

The tanker ran over a man and left him critically injured. He was being taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre but died on the way. The deceased was identified as 50-year-old Nasir, son of Allah Wasaaya, a resident of Johar.

Witnesses described the accident as horrific, with panic and confusion spreading in the area after the crash. An enraged crowd later set the water tanker on fire. The driver managed to escape and save his life. Some said he may have been assaulted by members of the public before fleeing.

Police, including personnel from Sharae Faisal police station, reached the site after receiving information and brought the situation under control. Fire brigade teams from the Gulistan-e-Johar fire station were also called in and extinguished the blaze, which affected the front portion of the tanker.

Station House Officer Imtiaz Hussain said police were investigating the incident, collecting eyewitness statements and reviewing CCTV footage to establish the exact circumstances of the crash. The victim’s body was shifted to hospital.

Two women killed in separate traffic accidents

In two other traffic incidents in the city, two women lost their lives and a man was injured, police said.

Near Peoples Chowrangi in the Jamshed Quarters area, a woman riding a motorcycle was killed and a man was injured after a bus hit them. Both were taken to Civil Hospital, where the deceased woman was identified as 35-year-old Saima and the injured man as 40-year-old Imran.

Police said the two were husband and wife and lived in an area near Safoora Chowrangi. Authorities have taken the bus and its driver into custody.

In a separate incident near Peoples Stadium on Mauripur Road in the Kalri area, a 25-year-old female pedestrian was killed after being struck by a loading truck. Her body was also moved to Civil Hospital.

Police said the identity of the second deceased woman could not be immediately confirmed. Her body was shifted to the morgue so that relatives could identify her.

The three incidents added to concerns over road safety in Karachi, where fatal accidents involving heavy vehicles and public transport continue to claim lives.