• Violent protest triggered after truck ran over motorcyclist near Power House Chowrangi
• Five FIRs registered against alleged arsonists • Truckers litter Superhighway with garbage to protest arson attacks

KARACHI: A total of 10 dumper trucks and water tankers were set on fire by angry mobs on Wednesday night near Power House Chowrangi and 4-K Chowrangi after a truck driver hit a motorcyclist, injuring him in North Karachi.

Taking prompt action, the police conducted raids and arrested 19 suspects and alleged arsonists with the help of CCTV footage. The suspects have been booked under terror and other charges.

The city has lately witnessed a rise in traffic accidents — especially involving dumpers and water tankers — which killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 were in 2024, according to hospital data.

The incidents prompted protests over citizens’ deaths, following which the provincial government banned the movement of heavy vehicles during the daytime in Karachi while also mandating them to obtain a vehicle fitness certificate.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Edhi Foundation said that a dumper hit a bike rider, namely Dayan Adil, 22, who suffered “minor injuries” on a road linking Power House Chowrangi to UP Mor. Subsequently, an enraged mob torched several dumpers.

Karachi Traffic Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Pir Mohammed Shah told Dawn that an accident took place in North Karachi last night in which a youth suffered bruises.

He said that rumours then spread that claimed that a woman was also killed by a dumper, resulting in five dumpers and four water tankers getting torched.

West Zone DIG Irfan Ali Baloch told Dawn that they have no reports of injury or death caused by the accident, adding that “we can’t rule out the possibility of pre-planned arson acts”.

He said that they have confirmed reports of eight dumpers and tankers torched on the main road leading to 4-K Chowrangi.

Police have conducted raids and arrested 19 suspects with the help of CCTV footage, DIG Baloch said. He added that they have been booked under terror and other charges.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaan Khan told Dawn that they received a call at 12:43am and the caller informed their control room that one dumper had been set on fire in North Karachi after it hit a bike rider at Nagan Chowrangi.

Consequently, he said that people then followed the dumper, stopping and torching it. He said that the mob also attacked their fire tenders with stones after they arrived at the scene.

Later on, contingents of police and Rangers arrived at the scene, he said, adding that after they arrived, they saw that not one but five dumpers were torched at Power House Chowrangi.

Under the police’s protection, the firemen extinguished the fire. While returning, they were informed that another dumper was torched at Baba Morr in North Karachi.

Mr Khan said a total of 10 dumpers and water tankers were torched in different areas of North Karachi within three hours, adding that the heavy vehicles were badly damaged in the fire.

The Central police spokesperson, in a statement, said that after torching of the dumpers at Power House, contingents of police rushed to the spot, but the miscreants managed to escape.

Crackdown on miscreants

Central Senior Superintendent of Police Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqi ordered a crackdown on the miscreants.

As a result, the police conducted raids in different areas, arresting 19 suspects with the help of CCTV footage, mobile phone videos and other sources.

All the held suspects have been booked under terror charges, and five separate FIRs have been registered at the Sir Syed, Bilal Colony, New Karachi and Khwaja Ajmer Nagri police stations.

Truck drivers protest at Shorab Goth

Meanwhile, dumper operators threw garbage on the main Superhighway near Sohrab Goth in a protest, said Sohrab Goth police station SHO Sohail Khaskheli.

He said both tracks of the highway were blocked for traffic, adding that they managed to remove the garbage and cleared the highway at 3:30am.

The East police spokesperson in a statement said the highway remained closed for an hour, and the police persuaded the dumper drivers to end their protest through negotiations.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Sindh Ziaul Hasan Lanjar and Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tesoori took notice of arson acts.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2025