PAKISTAN: At least two people are killed after a road bridge collapse in Karachi

Record ID: 216268

  • Title: PAKISTAN: At least two people are killed after a road bridge collapse in Karachi
  • Date: 1st September 2007
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) SHABBIR, AN EYE WITNESS SAYING: "I was here close by. I heard a loud bang. I rushed here, it was like an earthquake has hit. I saw body parts scattered as I reached the scene."
  • Embargoed: 16th September 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Pakistan
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVABGTLQIQEIX99Z46JW29W1DHPO
  • Story Text: An overpass collapsed in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Saturday (September 1) tipping cars onto a street below, crushing other vehicles underneath and killing at least two people.
    At least two cars and a cart were crushed under the huge slab of concrete and there were fears more dead could be under the collapsed bridge.
    "I was here close by. I heard a loud bang. I rushed here, it was like an earthquake has hit. I saw body parts scattered as I reached the scene," said Shabbir, an eye witness. It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse of the overpass in the outskirts of the city. It was only opened two months ago, local television said.
    Rescue workers brought in heavy lifting equipment and crowds of onlookers gathered near the scene where huge parts of the flyover hung precariously over the road.
    President General Pervez Musharraf ordered an immediate inquiry.
    Many bypasses and flyovers have been built in Pakistan's biggest city in recent years in an attempt to ease traffic gridlock.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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