Karachi ration stampede: Police arrest factory owner

KARACHI: Police on Saturday arrested the owner and administration staff of the factory linked with the deadly stampede in Karachi during ration distribution, ARY News reported.

At least 12 persons including three children were killed in a stampede during the ration distribution at a local factory in Karachi on Friday. The sorrowful incident took place at a local factory near Siemens Chowrangi in Karachi’s SITE area.

The arrest comes following the registration of case at the SITE A police station on behalf of Sub-inspector (SI) Malik Asif Zia under Sections 322 (punishment for unintentional murder), 337H-2 (punishment for hurt by rash or negligent act), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

According to the first information report (FIR), negligence by factory staff caused a stampede during the ration distribution.

READ: ZAKAT, RATION DISTRIBUTION STAMPEDE KILLS 12 AT KARACHI FACTORY

It added that factory managers Islam and Jaseem had been distributing cash as Zakat at the factory on behalf of factory owner Abdul Khaliq for several years.

The incident

The sorrowful incident occurred while people were gathered at a local factory near Siemens Chowrangi in Karachi’s SITE area to collect ration.

Rescue sources confirmed that the deceased persons included three children and mostly women.

Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah also announced Rs500,000 in financial assistance to the families of the deceased persons who lost their lives in the Karachi factory stampede incident. Moreover, he announced giving Rs100,000 to each wounded person.