SKARDU, Oct 29: A sharp increase in road accidents has been witnessed in Skardu due to defective traffic system and lack of willingness to impose rules on the part of traffic police.

Seven people, including a woman and two children, have been killed in road accidents occurred at different places in the city during the current month, while dozens of people sustained injuries. Incidents involving collision of vehicles have become a routine.

In an accident that took place on Sunday morning an aged woman Fatima, resident of Keris Baltistan, was killed when a vehicle (BLN 1557) collided with the official vehicle of Commander 62 Brigade, Brigadier Muneer Akram, on the airport road.

According to sources, Brigadier Muneer Akram himself, his driver Lance-naik Masood, driver of private vehicle Ibrahim, resident of Keris, girl Tasleem Zahra, resident of Keris, and a child sustained injuries in the accident.

Brigadier Muneer Akram along with the injured girl and the child has been shifted to the Military Hospital Rawalpindi where his condition is stated to be out of danger, while the girl is stated to be in critical condition. The other injured have been admitted to CMH Skardu.

Skardu police have registered separate cases against Ibrahim (driver of BLN 1557) and Lance-naik Masood (driver of Brigadier Muneer Akram) under sections 427, 279 and 337.

Earlier in other accidents, two people belonging to Hussainabad were killed, while 16 others injured when a Suzuki pick-up collided with an army vehicle near the district jail here. A child was killed when he came under the wheels of a speeding passenger van in Gamba Skardu.

A motorcyclist hit a child on Benazir Chowk, as a result the child received severe head injuries and later succumbed to his injuries. A man was killed when a tractor rammed into the wall of a school in the Satellite Town area.

Reason behind these accidents is said to be apathy and inefficiency of the traffic authorities. They have failed to enforce traffic rules and regulations. There is no system to keep a check on the vehicles plying in the city. Due to absence of monitoring by the government officials owners do not properly maintain their vehicles. Drivers too do not follow traffic rules most of the time.

Over-speeding, overtaking on narrow roads and violation of other traffic rules have become common. There are a sufficient number of taxis in the city which are driven by young boys who have no driving sense or knowledge of the traffic system. It is not sure whether or not they have driving licence.

One can also observe several vehicles plying in the city with their headlights and indicators not functioning properly. Some ignorant drivers are also seen driving with their headlights on high beam at night, endangering the lives of people travelling with them as well as those coming from the opposite direction.

In one incident, two cars collided with each other on Alamdar Chowk at night. The reason given was that one of the headlights of a car was fused, giving a wrong impression to the vehicle coming from the opposite direction. Drivers of both the vehicles received minor injuries.