A 35-year-old factory worker was killed Tuesday morning after being struck by a speeding water tanker in the SITE industrial zone. The incident occurred as the victim, identified as Muhammad Aslam, was walking toward his shift at a textile unit near the Metroville area. Witnesses said the driver lost control while navigating a sharp turn, pinning the worker against a perimeter wall.
The tanker driver fled the scene immediately, abandoning the vehicle on the roadside. “The noise was deafening,” said a nearby shopkeeper who saw the aftermath. “By the time we reached the wall, the driver was already running toward the main road.
The victim didn’t stand a chance.” Local police arrived within twenty minutes, but the scene was already crowded with angry factory workers demanding better safety measures. SITE industrial zones are notorious for heavy, unregulated traffic during shift changes, with water tankers often driving aggressively to meet supply demands posing a constant threat to pedestrians.
Authorities have impounded the tanker and registered a case against the unidentified driver under charges of reckless driving and involuntary manslaughter.
“We are checking CCTV footage from nearby factories to track the suspect,” said a police spokesperson at the scene. Aslam’s body was transported to the Civil Hospital for a post-mortem examination. He leaves behind a wife and three young children.
For the laborers in SITE, this wasn’t an isolated tragedy; it was a recurring nightmare. With no dedicated pedestrian crossings and heavy industrial traffic sharing narrow lanes, the workers say it’s only a matter of time before the next accident happens. The factory management has yet to issue a statement regarding the security of their staff during peak commute hours.
