KARACHI: At least 95 people were injured and a child was killed as a result of celebratory firing in air in Karachi on the eve of Independence Day, a hospital official said on Wednesday.

Incidents of aerial firing are a routine occurrence on occasions such as Independence Day and New Year’s Eve despite bans imposed in the past, often leaving dozens injured.

According to a statement issued by police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed, a total of 95 aerial firing cases were reported across three major hospitals in Karachi.

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Thirty-nine cases, comprising 33 men and six women, were noted at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). The eldest was 74 years old while the youngest was a five-year-old child.

Abbasi Shaheed Hospital received 34 injured people, including 25 men and nine women, with their ages ranging between six and 65 years.

At the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto (SMBB) Trauma Centre, 22 injured, comprising 17 men and five women, were reported. The eldest person was aged 55 years while the youngest was six years old.

The condition of one injured being treated at the SMBB Trauma Centre was “serious”, Dr Syed told. She also confirmed that a child had died, with a police statement saying that a suspect in that case had been arrested.

Earlier, the Chhipa rescue service’s information bureau issued a list of the injured people along with their ages and the area of the incident.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024