A tragic accident occurred near the Baloch Colony Bridge in Karachi on Thursday, where a car was crushed under an oil tanker, resulting in the death of one person and causing a major traffic jam. Concerns about a potential fire hazard were raised due to the kerosene oil leaking from the tanker.
According to police reports, the driver of the oil tanker fled the scene following the accident. The leaking kerosene oil exacerbated the situation, leading to massive traffic disruption.
According to unconfirmed reports, the spilled kerosene oil is estimated to be somewhere between 30,000 to 40,000 liters.
Rescue officials, who have requested heavy machinery to lift the tanker and free the car, are facing difficulties due to a large crowd of onlookers. They also expressed concerns about the possibility of a fire because of the leaking oil.
Eyewitnesses reported that a family was inside the car that was crushed under the tanker. The deceased was identified as 48-year-old Asad Ali Zaidi, a senior editor at a private TV channel.
In response to the incident, traffic police closed the bridge connecting Qayyumabad to Baloch Colony to facilitate the rescue operation. Zulfiqar Ali, a fire officer from Manzoor Colony Fire Station, highlighted the risk of fire due to the kerosene spill.
The rescue operation, which took two and a half hours to complete, saw the body moved to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). The tanker remained in place until it was fully emptied of kerosene oil, with the fire brigade staying on-site until the situation was under control.