KARACHI: The driver of a fast-moving bus hit nine workers of a garments factory, killing three of them including a woman, standing along the road in Landhi waiting for the vehicle to take them to their workplace on Saturday, police said. The driver fled after the incident.

They added that the factory bus was due to arrive at a stop called Future Mor to pick up the workers.

However, the driver of the bus “lost control of the vehicle apparently due to brake failure”, the police added.

“The workers waiting for the bus were standing there expecting the bus to stop so they could get on it,” said an official at the Landhi police station. “However, the bus instead of stopping ran over them and rammed into a nearby shop along the road. The bus hit some nine people and three of them died on the spot while six others were badly injured.”

The deceased were identified as 40-year-old Abdul Qadir, 22-year-old Ibrahim and 40-year-old Bilqees Bano, he said and added that six injured were immediately taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for treatment where two of them were said to be in critical condition.

“The police seized the bus while the driver ran away. The bodies of the victims were handed over to their families after medico-legal formalities,” said the official.

Man killed by ‘robber’

Meanwhile, a man was killed in Surjani Town while resisting an armed mugging attempt, police said on Saturday.

They added that two armed men on a motorbike intercepted 35-year-old Mohammad Rafiq in Sector 7-A of Surjani Town. As one of them was collecting cash and mobile phone, Rafiq offered resistance and managed to overpower a robber.

“However, his accomplice fired multiple shots on him. The victim died on the spot. The muggers rode away,” said an official at the Surjani Town police station.

Two ‘gangsters’ held

The Pakistan Rangers, Sindh on Saturday claimed to have arrested two suspected gangsters who were wanted in a number of cases, including murder, extortion and kidnapping for ransom.

In a statement, the paramilitary force said that the arrested suspects identified as Aman, alias Naresh, and Osama, alias Marwari, were associated with Zahid Ladla and Majeed, alias Munna, group operating in Lyari.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2021