the 07/21/2008

Doom unfolds at Lucky Charhaee ramp

Doom unfolds at Lucky Charhaee ramp

Staff Report

KARACHI: A seven-year-old child and the driver of a coach werekilled and at least 40 people were injured at 7am Saturday morningwhen the speeding vehicle collided with another at the LuckyCharhaee ramp at Northern Bypass.

About thirteen people were sitting on the roof of the Mazda wagon(PE-3790). One of them was 17-year-old Fazal Mohammad. Everyonewas singing an Indian song in Pashto, he told Daily Times. Thenall of a sudden the happiness turned into pain. Fazal was one ofthe labourers who take the coach regularly on their way to work. Helives in Baldia Town and works in Hub.

Conductor Maula Bux was collecting tickets when the accidenthappened. Their wagon was on its way from Hub and had reached LuckyCharhaee when another passenger bus and a dumper approached fromthe opposite direction. The dumpers driver was not giving thewagon space to pass. In the middle of overtaking, all in speed, thecollision took place.

Most of the people were brought to hospital unconscious. Anemergency was declared at Civil hospital but many patients leftunattended and in pain as it didnt make sense for them to sitaround the whole day. Thirty-five year old Rehman was one of them.The Ittehad Town resident was also on his way to work when theaccident took place. In the hospital all he could think about washis eight-month-old daughter Ayesha born after 10 years. She isthe most important thing for me to survive, he said. Shes onlyrecently started calling me baba.

When this reporter reached the office of the Medico Legal Officer(MLO) a forty-five year-old man in a green shalwar qamiz wassitting there. When asked about the details of the accident, hesaid: I cannot inform you anything. When this reporter asked hisname, he replied, I am the MLO and it is enough for yourinformation.

Another victim, Abdullah, 30, is a resident of Gulistan-e-Johar. Herecently got married and his wife is expecting. He was on his wayto Hub to look for a job at a factory and was sitting in the backof the bus. He was injured all over, especially near the eyes, buthe was more concerned about his educational certificates which wereall originals. I may not be able to get proper work now, he said.Who will take responsibility for this?

The injured included Emran, Anwar, Asif, Lal Badshah, FazalMohammad, Moula Bux, Babar, Arsalan, Aslam, Mohammad Shakil,Mohammad Bux, Shahzad, Jan Bahadur, Anwarzada, Mohammad, Barkat,Imtiaz, Abdul Ghaffar, Mohammad Shoaib, Mohammad Arshad, Rehmat,Zahid, Attaullah, Yadesh, Izzat Khan, Mukhtiar Shah, Javed, QadirBux, Ejaz, Taj, Noor Zameen, Samiha, Farzana, Ruhana, Fatima andNatasha while five others were not identified.

Meanwhile, Sindh Minister for Health, Dr Sagheer Ahmed and Civilhospital MS Dr Saeed Qureshi reviewed the situation. The HealthMinister said two deaths took place.

Deceased seven-year-old Naresh was a beggar by profession and wasidentified by people from the bus. Nobody has claimed his bodywhich is now at the Edhi morgue (Sohrab Goth). Ali Jan, 25, was thedriver of the bus. His family took his body away to Makran. FIR No191/08 was registered on behalf of the government. DSP Faisal Noorsaid that about 30 small accidents had taken place at that spot,but he did not have an exact figure.