KARACHI      -     Historic surge in in­flation caused anoth­er heart-wrenching in­cident as at least 12 people including wom­en and children were killed and several oth­ers sustained injuries in deadly stamped during the ration distribution by factory owners lo­cated in SITE area Kara­chi on Friday.

Police and admin­istration confirmed the casualties occured during the Ramazan-re­lated welfare activity, while the case had been registered against the factory owners.

Rescue sources said that they had shifted 11 dead bodies to Ab­basi Shaheed Hospital and Dr Ruth KM Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi. Three minor girls were also among the dead brought to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Superintendent of Police Mughees Hashmi told media rep­resentatives that the police station con­cerned was not intimated by the factory management prior to the distribution.

He said that a large number of people had gathered in the factory that led to a stampede, adding that water line had also been burst that might have caused panic and more casualties.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Governor Kamran Khan Tes­sori also took notice of the incident and sought report from the Commission­er Karachi. Murad directed the city ad­ministration to regularly file reports re­garding distribution of ration and other welfare work. Expressing deep sor­row over the loss of valuable lives, the chief minister said that the report of the death of 12 people was very painful.

Meanwhile, Minister for Information Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the fac­tory management neither intimated about the distribution of charity to the police nor the local administration.

Sharjeel Memon said that an FIR has been registered against the factory owners, and seven people have been arrested in the incident of a stampede during the distribution of Zakat mon­ey and ration near Nurus Chowrangi in the Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate (SITE) area here. He said that a tragic incident took place during the distribu­tion of ration outside a private factory in Site Karachi area in which precious lives of children and women lost. The min­ister said that FIR had been registered against the factory owners while seven people were arrested.

Memon said that everyone wanted to do charity works in the blessed month of Ramazan but they should inform the administration ahead of the distribu­tion to avoid any untoward situation.

He also appealed to philanthropists and non-government organizations to intimate the district administration and police while arranging the charity activities so that they can be provided with adequate measures.

He said that during the distribution of flour across Pakistan, sad incidents oc­curred in Punjab, keeping this in mind, the Sindh government had decided to transfer the funds for the purchase of flour through the Benazir Income Sup­port Program to the deserving families so as to stop such tragedies.

3 DEAD IN STAMPEDE DURING FREE FLOUR DISTRIBUTION IN KP

APP adds: As many as three persons were killed and four others injured in a stampede during the distribution of free flour at various points during last one week, police confirmed here on Friday. According to the data issued by the police, two persons were killed in Bannu and one person in Charsadda while four other injured in Bannu in the week time of the stampede. However, there were also re­ports of 5 looted 400 bags of free flour in five different places all across Khyber Pa­khtunkhwa.According to the details, Citi­zens looted 835 bags in Malakand Tehsil Police Station, 360 bags in Naugman Pe­shawar and in Dera Ismail Khan, citizens looted 5 truckloads of flour and shared it among themselves. The five trucks con­tained 2,244 bags of free flour as in Ha­zar Khawani area of Peshawar, women and men together have looted 600 bags. An official of the district administration Peshawar said that they have also taken action against those involved in irregu­larities during flour distribution.