HYDERABAD, May 31: A large number of people torched a bus which had run over a six-year-old boy at the Sabzi Mandi roundabout on Wednesday.

Protesters took to streets and blocked traffic in the area for several hours.

The people caught the driver and turned him over to the Site police station.

At around 10:30am, Hunain, son of Khan Mohammad, was crossing road near the Sabzi Mandi roundabout when he fell victim to a speeding coaster coming in the opposite direction. Hunain, the son of a fruit vendor, died instantly.

The Sabzi Mandi area is one of the busiest localities of Latifabad taluka and a hub of coaster and bus stands. The general bus stand is also located in the same vicinity.

Driver Mir Mohammad Sheikh was taking the coaster, owned by a resident of Tando Mohammad Khan, towards Sabzi Mandi roundabout from the general bus stand at a high speed and in the wrong direction.

“The boy could not judge that the bus was coming towards him, in the wrong direction,” said Gulshan-i-Hali SHO Khawar Gul.

The police officer said he was attending a hearing in the high court when he had received a message that the law and order situation had been created in the area.

Immediately after the accident, furious residents set the bus ablaze.

Business activities remained suspended temporarily as angry youths took to roads and pelted vehicles with stones. They also smashed windowpanes of the bus killing the boy.

Chaotic traffic conditions hit the flow of heavy traffic for loading and off-loading different goods in vegetables and fruit market.

Intending commuters faced hardships as they could not reach the general bus stand to board buses for different cities, including Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Sanghar, etc.

They had to take the alternative route of Auto Bhan Road to reach the bus stand.

Police diverted the vehicular traffic towards other roads to avoid traffic congestion. Shops were closed immediately.

The police took five hours to control the situation.