A seven-year-old boy was killed on the spot after being run over by a water tanker in Karachi’s Manghopir area on Monday, in yet another fatal incident involving heavy vehicles in the city.

Police said the tanker was reversing in a narrow street after supplying water when it struck the child, identified as Arif.

Residents raised an alarm, but the driver allegedly failed to hear them as he was listening to music through earphones.

The victim’s father, Abbas, told police that the driver reversed the tanker without paying attention to the surroundings.

He alleged that despite repeated shouts from bystanders, the driver continued reversing and crushed the child. Arif was the youngest of two brothers. His mother passed away three years ago, leaving the family devastated by the latest tragedy.

The grieving father accused water tanker operators of endangering lives for monetary gain and demanded justice, calling for strict punishment for those responsible.

Police said the tanker driver, identified as Wazir Muhammad, was arrested promptly, and the vehicle was taken into custody. The child’s body was shifted to a hospital for legal formalities.