Stampede kills 11 in Pakistan during Zakat distribution

At least 11 people died while five others were injured in a stampede during the distribution of Zakat among the families of employees at a private company in the Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate (SITE) area of Pakistan’s Karachi on Friday, according to officials.

In a statement, Keamari police confirmed the number of casualties and said the dead and the injured had been shifted to the hospital while further investigation was under way, reports Dawn.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn.com that the bodies of nine people — seven women and two boys — had been brought to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Keamari Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Fida Husain Janwari said the FK Dyeing company had invited the families of its employees for distributing Zakat.

He said “hundreds of women” had arrived and fearing a large crowd, the company staff closed the doors of the factory.

The police official said inside the premises there were no arrangements in place for making a queue, adding that local police were also not informed about the event.

SSP Janwari said several women fainted from the heat and the stampede.

Police contingents rushed to the spot, detained some of the employees on charges of negligence and shifted the women to different hospitals, he said.

The SSP said three employees of the firm, including its manager and supervisor, had been detained for not making proper arrangements. “Reportedly, the company’s owner was not present.”

Sindh minister Saeed Ghani, meanwhile, said seven people had been arrested so far.

Sindh CM takes notice

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and sought a report from Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Memon.

“The administration should be informed about any distribution of ration and welfare work,” the chief minister said and expressed grief over the lives lost in the incident. He directed officials to move the injured to the hospital.

PTI Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry said the incident was a “practical example” of the country’s economic condition and criticised the provincial government for its alleged indifference.