KARACHI: A recklessly-driven water tanker ran over and killed two minor brothers and critically injured the third one along with their cousin in Model Colony on early Tuesday morning, police and rescue services said.

Model Colony SHO Irfan Sahito told Dawn that the water tanker was coming from Safoora hydrant. When it reached near a turning at Mehran Depot, it hit and ran over the boys travelling on a motorbike. As a result, the two brothers were killed on the spot while their third brother and cousin were critically injured.

The deceased were identified as Taha Rafaqat Shah, 10, his brother Mohammed Shah, 9, while their injured brother as Baber Shah, 8, and cousin Ibrahim Sajawal, 25.

The police arrested the driver and impounded the heavy vehicle. The officer said that the injured persons were not in a position to give any statement as they had suffered serious injuries. Mr Sahito said that the errant driver, identified as Nazeer, was frequently changing his statement about the accident. Sometimes, he said the victims came under the water tanker from behind while at other times, he ‘confessed’ his mistake of rashly driving the vehicle.

He said the family had told the police that they would lodge an FIR after burial of the deceased siblings at their native place in Mansehra.

The bodies and injured were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2024