THATTA: As many as 11 people were killed and 31 suffered injuries, nine of them critical, in five separate accidents on National Highway near Chilya, Keenjhar, Onger and Damdamo early on Wednesday morning.

Most of the victims were coming from different parts of the province for recreation at Keenjhar Lake and other summer resorts or taking part in the first dhamal of the Urs of Abdullah Shah Ashabi.

In the first accident, a hi-roof collided head on with a motorcycle near fish hatchery on National Highway. Two motorcyclists and one hi-roof occupant were killed and seven others were injured in the accident.

In two other accidents, two unidentified youngsters were killed on National Highway near Makli.

In the fourth accident, Rizwan Zaheer and two of his friends from Karachi were killed when their motorcycle went out of control and slipped on the highway. Two other victims could not be identified.

In the last accident, Mir Mohammad Mirjat and two of his colleagues lost their lives when the Suzuki pickup they were riding in ran into a parked truck on Thatta-Sujawal road. The names of two other victims could not be ascertained.

Of the 31 persons who were injured in the accidents, some were identified as Ghulam Qadir, Hamzo, Ali Raza, Kamran, Mohammad Rahim, Mohammad Yasir, Aftab, Noor Mohammad, Saddam and Aslam.

Most of the injured were treated at Makli Civil Hospital and relieved after first aid while the nine critically injured were rushed to Karachi and Hyderabad hospitals. They could not be identified immediately.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2018