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Karachi has witnessed a significant rise in traffic accidents, with 99 major incidents reported in the first 37 days of 2025, resulting in 39 fatalities, ARY News reported, citing the traffic police.
As per Ary News, six traffic accidents occurred in Karachi in the last 24 hours which resulted in the loss of lives of nine people and left nine others injured. Notably, the accidents involved heavy vehicles, including dumpers, trailers, and oil tankers. Citing the traffic police, Ary News noted that the first six days of February alone saw 32 accidents involving heavy traffic. Three dumper accidents resulted in five fatalities, while 10 trailer accidents claimed 12 lives. Thirteen truck accidents resulted in 13 fatalities, the traffic police added. Other accidents included five water tanker incidents, which claimed eight lives, and one oil tanker accident, which resulted in one fatality. In response to the rising number of accidents taking place in the city, a four-member committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the accidents. The traffic police have issued 34,655 challans and arrested 490 drivers. As per a report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) road safety in Pakistan has suffered because of past lack of strong leadership and management at the central and provincial levels. The ADB report warned that unless the government implements strong measures, fatalities are estimated to increase by at least 33 percent by 2030. It further noted that in urban areas, road design and operation remain car-focused, with poor safety standards for pedestrians, motorcyclists, three-wheeler occupants, and bicyclists. The report also highlighted the limited use of road signs and markings across the network, numerous uncontrolled access points to high-speed arterial roads, high-speed intersections, and the inadequate use of proven safety measures such as roundabouts or traffic signals. (ANI)
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