KARACHI: Five members of a family, who were killed in an accident in Bahria Town Karachi, were laid to rest in a local graveyard amid moving scenes on Monday.

Their picnic turned into a tragedy when five of the six family members died after their car fell into a deep ditch inside the Bahria Town Karachi (BTK) late on Sunday night.

The dead were identified as civil engineer Ahmer Sharif, 45, his wife Saima Ahmer, 40, their son Hammad, 14, Ahmer’s brother Abdullah Sharif, 14, and another relative Fahmida Naeem, 48. Ahmer’s daughter Ubia, 21, was the lone survivor.

Their burial took place in Rifah Aam Society, Malir on Monday evening.

Gadap City SHO Zulfiqar Arain said that six members of a family, residents of Malir Halt, had gone for a picnic at Bahria Town.

He said the BTK has dug an around 10-foot-deep ditch near Dancing Fountain for laying some pipeline. He said around one kilometre away from the ditch, barriers were erected with inscriptions that the road has been closed for traffic.

However, the officer opined that it appeared that the man driving the car might not have read the warning and apparently drove the vehicle fast.

The car was stuck up in mud and fell into the ditch after crossing some distance. Police and the BTK administration with help of heavy machinery removed the car from the ditch and shifted six injured persons to a nearby hospital inside the housing project where five of them were pronounced dead.

The officer said that so far, no one has approached the police for initiating any legal proceedings about the incident.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2022