11 people were killed while giving out food in Karachi, and 8 of them were women.

At least 11 people died and many more were hurt in a stampede inside a plant at the Naurus intersection in Karachi’s SITE area on Friday. This is the latest time people have died trying to get free food.

People were collecting rations at a dyeing plant in the city’s industrial area, which is part of the charity drives Karachiites hold every Ramadan to help the poor.

Rescue sources and police officials told Geo News that eight women and three children were among those who died in the accident.

Google map showing where the event happened on March 31, 2023, in Karachi.
Rescue officials told Geo News that six people passed out during the rush. At the same time, police officials said that there were a lot of people at the spot where the rations were being handed out.

Rescue workers say that many of the people who died fell into a nullah at the plant. Also, people who saw what happened told the media source that people were called to give out Zakat.

Sources from Edhi said that nine bodies were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and two were taken to the Civil Hospital. This is an update on the number of people who died.

On March 31, 2023, the plant in Karachi where the accident happened was locked up. — Author’s photo
On March 31, 2023, the plant in Karachi where the accident happened was locked up. — Author’s photo
On March 31, 2023, rescue workers stand at the scene of the accident in Karachi’s SITE area. — Author’s photo
On March 31, 2023, rescue workers stand at the scene of the accident in Karachi’s SITE area. — Author’s photo
On March 31, 2023, the plant in Karachi where the accident happened was locked up. — Author’s photo
On March 31, 2023, the plant in Karachi where the accident happened was locked up. — Author’s photo
On March 31, 2023, rescue workers stand at the scene of the accident in Karachi’s SITE area. — Author’s photo
On March 31, 2023, rescue workers stand at the scene of the accident in Karachi’s SITE area. — Author’s photo
Faisal Edhi said that Edhi’s sources said that all of the dead people brought to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital were women, and that three of them were younger girls. Police told Geo News that 15 people who were hurt were taken to both hospitals.

Governor of Sindh Kamran Tessori has asked Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Memon for a report on the event. The governor also said he was sad that so many good people had died in the accident.

Sindh’s Chief Minister, Murad Ali Shah, also noticed the stamp and asked the commissioner for a report. CM Murad said, “Administration should report on how rations are distributed and how welfare efforts are going.”

Seven people are caught by police.
SP Muhammad Mughees Hashmi told reporters that the local police confirmed that the event happened because of a stampede. He also said that the local police station was not told about the distribution before it happened.

So far, seven people have been arrested, and a probe has been started, according to the SP.

He said that a water line broke during the rush, which made the situation worse and made him worry that the number of deaths would go up.

SSP Kemari said that there was no proof of electrocution at the scene and that all of the people who died did so because of the stampede.

The police official also said that the wall of a nullah did not fall down. He also said that there were more than 400 people at the spot when the rush happened.

This is one of many stampedes that have happened in Pakistan in recent weeks, killing at least five people and hurting many more. These stampedes happened at sites where food, especially wheat flour, was being given out as part of a government-backed program to help struggling families during the country’s worsening economic crisis.

The government set up centers all over the country to help people deal with the effects of inflation, which was above 30%, a 50-year high. Thousands of people went to these centers.

Even more basic things have become more expensive. For example, the price of flour has gone up by more than 45% in the last year.

During the holy Islamic month of Ramadan, which started last week, the Pakistani government has started a program to give flour to millions of poor families.