KARACHI: A four-year-old boy was crushed to death by a water tanker in Karachi’s Baldia Town on Saturday, marking yet another tragic traffic incident in the city.
In a statement, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kemari Captain Faizan said the incident occurred while the child was playing and attempting to cross the road.
The boy — identified as Affan — came under the wheels of the speeding tanker and died on the spot. Meanwhile, the police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Speaking to journalists, the boy’s uncle, Abdul Qadir Khan, said that Affan had gone out to play as his school was off. “He was killed by a water tanker in the playground,” he added.
He further added that the deceased child’s father is currently working in Dubai and that Affan was the second among three siblings.
Khan alleged that water tanker operators had illegally occupied the playground where the incident occurred. “Our children are not even safe in playgrounds anymore,” he said. He added that the tanker driver managed to flee the scene following the incident.
The incident comes as Karachi has been witnessing a surge in traffic accidents in recent months, with over 250 lives lost in traffic accidents so far this year. Of these, at least 70 fatalities have been linked to collisions involving heavy vehicles such as tankers and trailers.
The alarming rise in fatalities sparked widespread public outrage and protests, pushing the Sindh government to impose a daytime ban on the movement of heavy vehicles within the city.
Authorities also made it mandatory for such vehicles to undergo fitness certification in a bid to curb the growing menace.
