Two siblings were killed and their father injured in a road accident involving a dumper on Karachi’s Rashid Minhas Road near Lucky One Mall early Sunday, sparking mob violence and protests that disrupted traffic on key city routes, officials said.

In recent months, Karachi has witnessed a rise in traffic accidents, especially involving heavy vehicles, including dumpers and water tankers, which killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 in 2024, according to hospital data.

Central Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqi said that around 3:15am, a dumper truck hit a motorcycle carrying a family, killing Mahnoor, 22, and her 14-year-old brother Ahmed Raza, and injuring their 48-year-old father, Shakir.

Following the incident, transporters staged a protest by blocking Rashid Minhas Road and the Superhighway near Sohrab Goth, causing traffic jams.

Both inbound and outbound roads on Rashid Minhas Road from Sohrab Goth towards Gulshan-i-Iqbal were closed, while traffic on Al-Asif Square towards the city and towards Hyderabad was also halted in both directions.

“A mob gathered and set fire to a total of seven dumpers on both sides of the road within the limits of Yusuf Plaza and Federal B Area police stations,” the SSP told Dawn.com.

“The police reached the spot to apprehend the driver and took the dumper in custody.”

The police cordoned off the area, set up diversions, and called fire tenders to put off the fire, Siddiqi said.

“Furthermore, police have arrested 14 suspects on charges of torching the dumpers, and more arrests are being made with the help of videos and technical evidence.”

Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn.com the siblings were brought dead to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, while their father was injured. Quoting relatives, she said the deceased girl was to get married soon.

Dr Summaiya said police brought in two drivers with critical injuries after they were beaten by the mob. She said the alleged errant driver was critically injured but stable, while a driver of another burnt dumper was also in critical condition with head injuries.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan confirmed that seven dumpers were torched near Lucky One Mall in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, adding that the fire tenders controlled the fire. “The heavy vehicles were badly damaged in arson acts,” he said.

Later, a statement from Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon’s office stated that negotiations between the transporters and the provincial government were successful, with the former agreeing to end their demonstration.

A delegation of transporters led by Haji Yousaf and Jam Alam met Memon at the Karachi Commissioner House.

Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, Transport Secretary Asad Zamin and the city’s police chief, Javed Alam Odho, were also present on the occasion.

The statement added that Memon expressed condolences for those killed in the accident and condemned the “violent acts” that took place afterwards.

“The Sindh government will prioritise resolving their (the transporters’) legitimate issues,” Memon was quoted as saying.

“Violence and vandalism are not the solution to these problems. We will work with all parties to solve the problems of the transport sector and ensure that these incidents do not happen again.”

Memon added that those who committed acts of vandalism and “took the law into their own hands” will be charged under anti-terrorism laws.

“Dumper owners will ensure that their trucks are fitted with cameras and trackers, while they will have insurance and truck drivers’ licences,” Memon was quoted as saying. “A committee will be formed to assess the losses incurred by transporters.”

Earlier this month, a high-speed trailer truck crashed in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA), injuring two people.

In July, a 59-year-old milk supplier was killed when a dumper ran over his motorcycle in Karachi’s Saudabad.