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.