Karachi Paralyzed By Violence - Fire Dept. Demanding Armed Protection To Respond To Arsons

[hatrack]

Violence paralysed civic life in the city on Wednesday. All activities were suspended, and traffic on major arteries came to a standstill for hours. Hundreds of thousands of private as well as public transport vehicles that could not make it off the roads in time remained stranded in massive traffic jams after riots erupted Wednesday afternoon in Saddar Town, the city’s main business district, and then extended to other parts of Karachi. The public transport that was not stranded in the gridlocks disappeared from the roads minutes after some buses, cars and trucks were torched.

Several reports of crossfire also came in from many parts of the city, and vehicles at various locations were set on fire and pelted with stones by miscreants. News of the violence spread like wildfire across the city, causing citizens to panic. The situation was brought under control however, after an hours-long struggle by security forces.

EDIT

The National Highway was also blocked after the Malir Bar building was set on fire. This resulted in a massive traffic jam at Malir-15. It was cleared however, after Rangers personnel and the police took over and dispersed the miscreants. Traffic flow, which remained suspended on M.A. Jinnah Road, Ranchor Line, Guru Mandir and Nishtar Road due to continued violence in the surrounding areas, was restored late in the evening. Although the riots took place only in specific areas, the panic spread across the entire city and people decided to rush home, which resulted in major traffic issues all over Karachi.

Meanwhile, the Fire Brigade was also reportedly late for rescue operations at a number of places. “We did not receive immediate protection from security forces. Operations were therefore delayed,” the City District Government Karachi’s (CDGK) chief fire officer, Ehtisham Uddin Siddiqi, said. Officials made two attempts to get to locations immediately after the violence began in the city, but fire tenders were pelted with stones and reports of crossfire also hindered their movement, Siddiqi said.

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http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=105857

[NickB79]

1. Is this due to the rolling black-outs and power outages they've been having?

:shrug:

[Warpy]

2. It's probably due to the huge runup in food costs

the entire world is facing. There have been riots throughout the third world, where that increase in food prices means people have to watch their kids crying from hunger.

[hatrack]

3. That, food costs, gasoline shortages, lack of propane & diesel for generators . . .

. . . little things like that.