KARACHI: Five persons, including a small boy, were injured in separate road accidents in different areas of the megacity on Saturday.

According to rescue sources, a man identified as Yaqoob, aged 30, son of Ayub; Qadir, 33, son of Mohammad, and Munna, 5, son of Shan Alam, were injured after they were hit by a fast-moving vehicle as they were riding a motorcycle in the Shershah area.

The injured were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for treatment.

Meanwhile, Faisal, 20, son of Anwar, was severely wounded as he was hit by a vehicle in Hijrat Colony. The injured was taken to the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) for treatment.

Separately, a 35-year-old man, Mushtaq, son of Bilal, was hit by a vehicle near Jamali Bridge on M-9 (Superhighway). As a result, he suffered severe injuries and was rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for treatment.

M-9 from the Sohrab Goth to Gadap police station is among the most unsafe highways in Pakistan. Due to lack of side barriers and pedestrian bridges people, including women and children, cross this road very dangerously. Slow-moving traffic such as donkey-carts and Qingqis are also allowed to run on this part of the highway.

The down track on a main bridge of M-9 over the Lyari River has been in a dilapidated shape for over one year, but the government has yet to repair it. The potholed bridge witnesses accidents frequently.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2020