Latest news with #aerialfiring
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Girl, 7, among three killed in celebratory gunfire on Pakistan's independence day
Three people, including a seven-year-old girl, were killed in celebratory aerial firing during Independence Day celebrations in Pakistan on Thursday, police said. The girl was struck by a stray bullet in Azizabad, a neighbourhood in central Karachi 's Gulberg town, while a 35-year-old was killed in Korangi in the city's eastern part, the daily Dawn quoted police as saying. A 70-year-old man was struck and killed by a stray bullet outside his home in Kalri, local police officer Syed Asad Raza said. 'A seven-year-old girl was watching Independence Day fireworks from the second-floor gallery of her house in Azizabad Block 8 when a bullet struck her in the head,' local police officer Waqar Kaiser was quoted as saying by the news outlet. 'A while later, her mother saw her bleeding out and her uncle took her to a nearby private hospital where doctors pronounced her dead. The body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where the bullet from her head was retrieved.' Rescue workers told Geo TV that celebratory gunfire across Karachi also left over 100 people injured. Authorities condemned these incidents and reportedly launched an investigation. They urged the public to celebrate Independence Day through safer, non-violent means. Police reported cases of aerial firing in multiple Karachi neighbourhoods, including Liaquatabad, Lyari, Mehmoodabad, Akhtar Colony, Keamari, Jackson, Baldia, Orangi Town, and Paposh Nagar. Similar incidents were also recorded in Sharifabad, North Nazimabad, Surjani Town, Zaman Town, and Landhi, police said, according to Geo TV. The wounded were admitted to local hospitals as well as private clinics. Police said they detained nearly 33 suspects during raids in Mominabad, Liaquatabad, Paposh Nagar, Samanabad, Orangi Town, and Keamari, and seized modern firearms and ammunition from them. They also registered cases against those involved. Independence Day celebrations in Karachi are marred by fatalities and injuries from aerial firing almost every year. In 2024, at least 95 people were wounded in such incidents compared with 80 the previous year. India and Pakistan won independence from British rule at midnight on 14 and 15 August 1947 respectively. British viceroy Lord Mountbatten, reportedly for logistical reasons, conducted the handover of power in Karachi on 14 August and then flew to India for another ceremony the next day. Some reports suggest that because 14 August 1947 coincided with the 27th of Ramadan – considered a holy day in Islam – Pakistan decided to celebrate Independence Day on the 14th. Pakistan, like India, formally celebrates Independence Day each year with a programme of military parades and cultural shows.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Arab News
Three killed, over 100 injured in Independence Day celebratory gunfire in Karachi
KARACHI: Three people were killed and 119 injured in Karachi when celebratory aerial firing broke out as Pakistan marked its Independence Day, a senior health official said on Thursday. Firing guns into the air during weddings, festivals and national holidays is a long-standing practice in Pakistan, but one that regularly results in injuries and deaths when stray bullets strike bystanders. Police typically ban the practice, yet enforcement remains weak in the country's largest city of more than 20 million people. 'Three people were killed and 119 injured in celebratory aerial firing on August 14 in Karachi,' Karachi Police Surgeon Dr. Summaya Syed said in a statement, citing hospital reports. According to official data, casualties were reported from multiple hospitals: 42 injured at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, 26 at Civil Hospital Karachi/SMBB Institute of Trauma, and 41 cases at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center. Those killed included a minor girl in Azizabad, a 70-year-old man in Kalri, and a 35-year-old man in Qur'angi. Karachi, Pakistan's financial hub and most populous city, frequently sees such incidents during national holidays. Rights groups and doctors have repeatedly called for stronger enforcement against aerial firing, noting that most victims are innocent bystanders, including children.
Khaleej Times
4 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Pakistan Independence Day: 3 killed, over 60 injured in aerial firing in Karachi
Three people, including a senior citizen and an 8-year-old girl, were killed during Independence Day celebrations in Pakistan's Karachi due to "reckless" aerial firing, while over 60 others sustained gunshot injuries, Geo News reported, citing a rescue official. The incidents occurred across the city, with the young girl hit by a stray bullet in Azizabad and a man named Stephen killed in Korangi. At least 64 others suffered gunshot wounds in the citywide incidents, Geo News reported. Rescue officials said dozens were injured due to celebratory gunfire. Authorities condemned the practice as reckless and dangerous, urging citizens to mark Independence Day in safer ways. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. Police have initiated their investigation and assured that strict action will be taken against those found involved in aerial firing. According to a report obtained by ARY News, at least 42 people, including five women, lost their lives in firing incidents across Karachi in January. Additionally, 233 people, including five women, were injured in these incidents. Five people were killed while thwarting robbery attempts in the firing events, which were reported in different regions of the city. In other instances, individuals lost their lives as a result of stray gunshots or aerial fire. However, none of the seven people who died in firing incidents--including a woman--have been named. Police officers attributed the episodes to several factors, including disagreements, personal animosities, and resistance to robbery attempts, ARY News reported. Road accidents, robbery resistance, and aerial firing also contributed to a spike in deaths in Karachi earlier in January. According to the Chipa Foundation, 528 people, including children and the elderly, were injured in road accidents, and 36 people died as a result. In addition, robbery resistance incidents resulted in three fatalities and fifteen injuries.
