Three people lost their lives and several others were injured in a fatal collision between a high-speed vehicle and a rickshaw on the Quetta-Karachi National Highway near Bhawani in Hub Chowki during the night between Saturday and Sunday.
According to eyewitnesses, the crash occurred at high speed, leaving the rickshaw mangled and throwing passengers onto the road. The deceased were identified as Israrullah s/o Muhammad Hayat, a resident of Pishin currently living in Asad Chowk, Hub; Rasool Bakhsh s/o Dushambay from Gadani; and the unnamed rickshaw driver.
In a disturbing development, no Edhi ambulance or emergency medical response was available at the time of the crash. As a result, the injured remained lying on the roadside for approximately 40 minutes before bystanders and local residents stepped in. In the absence of official medical transport, the victims were rushed to hospitals using private vehicles.
The injured were identified as Sajid, Saddam Hussain, Ghulam Ali, Usama, and Noman. Initially taken to Hub Hospital, all were later transferred to medical facilities in Karachi due to inadequate treatment options and the lack of emergency care at the local government hospital.
This incident has sparked outrage among residents, who have criticized the severe lack of emergency preparedness in the city. Citizens expressed alarm over the absence of functioning ambulances and the poor state of Hub’s largest public healthcare facility – Jam Ghulam Qadir Government Hospital, a 50-bed institution – where, they claim, even basic medical care is often unavailable.
“The hospital can barely provide first aid,” said one local resident. “Every emergency patient ends up being referred to Karachi. Many don’t make it in time.”
There were also allegations that hospital staff, including emergency duty officers, are often absent during critical situations, further endangering lives.