The death toll from a stampede in Karachi has increased to 12. The police registered an FIR against the factory owners and their employees who were distributing ration cash handouts among the victims when the stampede happened on Friday afternoon.

The deaths took place at Naurus Chowrangi in the factory-lined SITE.

The factory owners had announced that they were going to distribute ration cash handouts. A large number of people gathered outside the factory and when the gate was opened they rushed inside, causing a stampede.

Every person was to receive Rs2,000 (around $7) from the zakat money, eyewitnesses told Aaj News.

Eight women and three children are among the dead, rescue teams said.

The crowd had gathered at a narrow place next to a nullah to receive free rations. During the stampede, a wall next to the nullah also collapsed and some of the victims fell into sewage.

Authorities said that eight dead bodies were sent to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and two were sent to Civil Hospital, Karachi.

FIR and arrests

The police have registered an FIR against nine people including the factory owner. They face charges of criminal neglect.

Authorities say the factory owners failed to inform the police about their ration distribution plans and to take adequate safety measures.

Of the nine people nominated in the FIR at least eight were still at large on Friday night. The police however detained seven others from the factory.

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the deaths with Murad promising aid money for the families of the dead.

Other ration deaths

Before Friday’s deaths in Karachi, over five people were killed in different cities as the government distributed free flour sacks among the poor.

Thousands of people have gathered at flour distribution centres set up across the country as part of the government’s efforts to ease the impact of inflation, which is running above 30%, a 50-year high.

At least five other people have been killed and several others injured in recent weeks at sites in other provinces in Pakistan. Thousands of bags of flour have also been looted from trucks and distribution points, according to official records.

The stampedes underscore people’s desperation in the face of soaring costs, exacerbated by Pakistan’s falling currency and removal of subsidies agreed with the International Monetary Fund to unlock the latest tranche of its financial support packages.

The costs of basic goods have surged, with flour prices rising more than 45% in the past year.

The government has launched the flour distribution programme to reach millions of families in need during Ramazan which began last week.