THATTA: A fatal collision between two cars near Dhabeji on Karachi-Thatta section of National Highway claimed four lives, among them a newly-wed man and his mother, and left six injured when the vehicles caught fire following the accident on Thursday evening.

Shahzain Hingoro and his mother Yasmin Hingoro, who were in the car coming from Karachi to Thatta died and their relatives Muso Hingoro, Sarwar Bhatti and Imtiaz sustained critical injuries.

Izharul Hassan Arain and Rahmatullah Arain, who were in the other car going to Karachi, died on the spot and three other occupants of the vehicle suffered injuries.

Shahzain had recently tied the knot and was coming to Thatta with his family to bring his bride back with him to Karachi when the tragedy struck. The injured of both the cars who had suffered serious injuries were rushed to nearby hospitals.

Eyewitnesses blamed ongoing, poorly managed repair work on the highway for the fatal collision. One side of the highway was completely closed and the traffic was shifted to the other side where vehicles moved on opposite directions without any barrier to separate the vehicles, they said.

Rescue efforts were significantly delayed, with emergency services and fire brigade running late for over an hour, forcing locals of the area to take it upon themselves to rescue the injured and transport them to nearby healthcare facilities.

The devastating accident underscored urgent need for improved road infrastructure and a more efficient emergency response system to prevent such tragedies in future. Citizens urged authorities to expedite work on repairs of the highway and ensure proper safety measures were in place to protect commuters on the highway.

The accident has left local community in shock as bereaved families grapple with the loss of their loved ones in a preventable tragedy.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2025