KARACHI: At least 12 people were killed and over six sustained injuries in a traffic accident involving an oil tanker and multiple passenger vehicles on the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway (M-9), near DHA City on Friday afternoon.

The police said the number of the deceased was 13, while police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed and Edhi officials put the death toll at 12, including six children and three women.

According to the Malir SSP, Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada, the accident occurred when the tanker, which was on its way to Karachi, collided with a bus and van coming from the “wrong side”. As a result, the tanker fell onto the passenger vehicle, trapping several passengers, while a significant quantity of oil spilt onto the road.

The oil spill created difficulties for rescue workers, who could not use electrical equipment for fear of a fire and manually cut the heavy vehicle to retrieve the bodies and the injured from the vehicle.

Sindh CM orders probe as different authorities give conflicting accounts of accident

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that four vehicles were involved in the accident, comprising the oil tanker, a passenger bus, a passenger van, and a trailer carrying goods.

He said that after the accident, the tanker fell onto the passenger van and a heavy crane was deployed to remove it, while the rescue team cut through the heavy vehicle to retrieve the passengers.

He said that initially they retrieved four victims and later five more from the passenger van. He regretted that some bodies were crushed beyond recognition and they could only retrieve body parts.

The motorway police spokesperson also confirmed that four vehicles were involved in the accident, saying that nine people died on the spot. According to the spokesperson, the accident occurred after the tyre of the oil tanker burst.

However, a motorway police spokesperson said in a statement that the fatal accident occurred after the tyre of the oil tanker burst. Motorway Police Additional IGP Munir Ahmed Shaikh told reporters on the occasion that the van driver was killed in the accident, while the bus driver managed to escape.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, while expressing regret over the loss of human lives, ordered an inquiry to ascertain the causes of the accident.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed grief over the traffic accident.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2026