KARACHI: A total of nine dumpers and water tankers were set on fire by angry mobs in Karachi on Wednesday night near the main road leading to 4-K Chowrangi after a heavy vehicle hit a bike rider, injuring him in the North Karachi area.
The city has lately witnessed a rise in traffic accidents — especially involving dumpers and water tankers — which killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 were in 2024, according to hospital data. The incidents prompted protests over citizens’ deaths, following which the provincial government banned the movement of heavy vehicles during the daytime in Karachi while also mandating them to obtain a vehicle fitness certificate.
In a statement issued today, Edhi Foundation said that a dumper hit a bike rider, namely Dayan Adil, 22, who suffered “minor injuries” on a road linking Power House Chowrangi to UP Mor. Subsequently, an enraged mob torched several dumpers.
Karachi Traffic Police Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Pir Mohammed Shah told Dawn.com that an accident took place in North Karachi last night in which a youth suffered bruises.He said that false rumours then spread that claimed that a woman was also killed by a dumper, resulting in five dumpers and four water tankers getting torched.
West Zone DIG Irfan Ali Baloch told Dawn.com that they have no reports of injury or death caused by the accident, adding that “we can’t rule out the possibility of pre-planned arson acts”.He said that they have confirmed reports of eight dumpers and tankers torched on the main road leading to 4-K Chowrangi.
Police have conducted raids and arrested 19 suspects with the help of CCTV footage, DIG Baloch said, He added that they have been booked under terror and other charges.Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaan Khan told Dawn.com that they received a call at 12:43am and the caller informed their control room that one dumper had been set on fire in North Karachi after it hit a bike rider at Nagan Chowrangi.
Consequently, he said that people then followed the dumper, stopping and torching it. He said that the mob also attacked their fire tenders with stones after they arrived at the scene.
