At least eight people died and 13 others were injured on Monday morning when a trawler and a van collided on the M-6 Motorway near Moro in Sindh’s Naushahro Feroze District, officials said.
Fatal road accidents on highways occur frequently in Pakistan, with the main reasons including overspeeding, hazardous overtaking and disregard for traffic rules.
Last month, a fast-moving dumper ran over and killed a college professor and his wife on Sindh’s M-9 motorway, formerly known as Superhighway.
Naushahro Feroze Deputy Commissioner (DC) Arsalan Saleem confirmed the casualties in today’s accident, saying that another injured individual succumbed to his injuries, raising the death toll to eight.
According to DC Saleem, the van was returning from a wedding in Hyderabad when it was met with the accident.
Sanghaar Malik, the Naushahro Feroze senior superintendent of police (SSP), said the trawler’s driver managed to flee from the incident site. The fate of the van driver was not yet clear.
SSP Malik said an investigation into the incident was underway, while the bodies and the injured had been shifted to a hospital.
DC Saleem said the condition of 10 injured persons was critical and therefore, they were shifted to a hospital in Nawabshah.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also expressed his grief over the loss of lives.
“I express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families,” he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his spokesperson.
He directed that the wounded be provided with the best possible medical treatment and prayed for the deceased. “Drivers should drive their vehicles with caution,” the chief minister advised.
He also requested the federal government to have the National Highway Authority (NHA) install more lights and reflection lights on the National Highway, Indus Highway and the Superhighway.
More to follow
Additional input by Imtiaz Ali
