An angry mob set seven dumper trucks on fire after two siblings were killed in a collision between their motorcycle and a speeding dumper on Rashid Minhas Road in the early hours of Sunday.
The accident occurred near Lucky One Mall, leaving the siblings’ father critically injured. According to Rescue 1122, 22-year-old Mahnoor and 14-year-old Ali Raza succumbed to their injuries while being shifted to hospital, while their father remains under treatment.
Following the tragedy, enraged citizens torched multiple dumpers and assaulted the driver involved, who was later handed over to police.
SSP Central said the driver had been taken into custody, while over 10 people were detained in connection with the unrest.
Two die as dumper hits van in Karachi
Rashid Minhas Road was closed to traffic after the incident. Rescue 1122 said the fire had been extinguished and cooling operations completed.
Karachi Traffic Police reported that both tracks of the Al-Asif to Hyderabad route remained closed for hours due to the torching incident, with traffic diverted via Total Petrol Pump as an alternative route.
In retaliation, the Dumper Drivers Association blocked the Super Highway near Sohrab Goth, disrupting traffic flow, and warned of a National Highway blockade.
Association president Liaquat Mehsud alleged that the accident involved a tanker, not a dumper, and held the Sindh government responsible for the damage to seven vehicles.
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori expressed sorrow over the deaths, prayed for the recovery of the injured, and urged strict action against the dumper driver and those endangering public safety.
He also appealed to citizens not to take the law into their own hands.
Transporters end protest
Later, after negotiations with the Sindh government proved successful, transporters ended their protest.
The breakthrough came after a delegation of transporters, led by dumper association leaders Haji Yousuf and Jan Alam, met with Sindh’s Senior Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit, Sharjeel Inam Memon, at the Commissioner House in Karachi. The meeting was also attended by Commissioner Karachi Syed Hasan Naqvi, Secretary Transport Asad Zaman, Karachi Police Chief Javed Alam Odho, and other senior officials.
During the meeting, Sharjeel expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the accident and condemned the violent incidents that followed. He assured the transporters that the Sindh government would resolve their legitimate issues on a priority basis. He also emphasised that violence and vandalism are not solutions to any problem.
The minister gave assurances that all parties would work together to prevent such incidents in the future. He said that cases under anti-terrorism laws would be registered against those who took the law into their own hands and incited riots.
Sharjeel also directed dumper owners to make cameras, trackers, insurance, and drivers’ licenses mandatory for their vehicles.
Furthermore, a committee is formed to assess the losses suffered by transporters.
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