At least 94 people were injured in separate incidents of celebratory aerial firing in Karachi during Independence Day celebrations, while a woman was killed after being struck by a stray bullet, rescue officials said.
An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said the injured included 10 women, 17 children and 59 men. The circumstances surrounding the woman’s death were linked to the same wave of celebratory gunfire reported across the city.
The injured were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Civil Hospital and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for treatment.
Abbasi Shaheed Hospital received 24 patients, including one woman, four children and 19 men, while Jinnah Hospital treated 35 people, including three children, four women and 28 men.
Civil Hospital’s trauma centre treated a further 26 patients, including 10 children, four women and 12 men, according to hospital officials.
The incidents were reported from several parts of Karachi, including Lyari, Saddar, Korangi, Malir, Azizabad, North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, Gulbahar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Orangi Town, Jamshed Quarters and Defence.
Police said they had arrested 30 suspects allegedly involved in aerial firing across Karachi’s eastern, western and central districts.
The arrests were reported from areas including Hyderi Market, Bilal Colony, Liaquatabad, New Karachi, Taimuria, Azizabad, Joharabad and Gulbahar. Police also reported arrests within the jurisdictions of Khwaja Ajmer Nagri, Samanabad, Rizvia Society and Sir Syed police stations.
Various weapons were recovered from some of the suspects, police said.
In Gulshan-e-Iqbal, police arrested a security guard allegedly involved in aerial firing and recovered a weapon from him.
Two other suspects were also arrested in Orangi Town and Iqbal Market over alleged involvement in celebratory firing, according to the SSP West.
The incidents have once again highlighted the dangers associated with celebratory gunfire during public festivities, with stray bullets posing a serious risk to people celebrating in residential areas and on the streets.
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