LAHORE: Six members of a family, including two minor children, died in a fatal road accident in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

Police said a speeding car driven by a teenage boy led to the accident, which claimed the lives of six members of a family who were going back to their home after meeting their relatives.

Those who lost their lives were identified as Rukhsana Bibi (45), her son Husnain (25), daughter-in-law Ayesha (23), her son-in-law Sajjad (30), four-month-old grandson Huzaifa, and her granddaughter Anaya (4).

Police lodged a case against the suspected car rider, Afnan Shafqat, on the complaint of head of the family, Rafaqat Ali, who was traveling in another car at the time of the incident.

An eyewitness said the accident was so horrific that the car, which was carrying six people, flipped multiple times when the car driven by Afnan hit it.

Rafaqat told the police that he was coming back from the residence of his son’s in-laws along with his other family members in two cars.

As they reached the DHA Phase VII, a rashly-driven car hit the vehicle that was carrying six members of his family, including his wife, son, daughter-in-law and their two kids. He said the car overturned many times and was damaged almost completely.

He along with his other relatives found all of his six family members in a pool of blood, Rafaqat said, adding that most of his family members died on the spot while others breathed their last when they were shifted to the hospital.

Police arrested Afnan Shafqat from the spot and nominated him in the FIR.

There are reports that many young men take their cars and motorcycles to the major roads of the DHA every weekend, particularly on Saturday night, to perform dangerous stunts.

They drive cars recklessly, risking lives of commuters. Most of the youngsters drive cars and bikes in groups and the practice has been going on unnoticed for the last many years as a majority of them belonged to the rich families of the DHA.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2023