A 12-year-old boy tragically lost his life after being run over by a water tanker in Korangi’s 100 Quarters area on Friday, sending shockwaves across the neighbourhood.

Police said the incident took place near the main market in Bangali Para when the child, Farhan, son of Noor Muhammad, came under the rear wheels of a slowly moving water tanker. He was rushed to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre through an Edhi ambulance, but doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

According to residents, Farhan was a madrassa student and the youngest of eight siblings. Moments before the accident, he had rented a bicycle to play in a nearby ground and was returning it when the tanker struck him. Locals claimed the narrow, heavily encroached street made it nearly impossible for vehicles and children to safely pass — a problem they say has been ignored for years.

Eyewitnesses told police that some enraged residents attempted to set the tanker on fire after the incident. However, officers promptly reached the spot, controlled the situation, and arrested the driver, identified as Noor Hussain Shah. The water tanker was also impounded.

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Police officials are now verifying whether the driver possessed a valid licence and if the vehicle had all required documentation, including a functional tracker. An FIR has been registered, and the investigation is under way.

The driver, who operates a Mazda water tanker, insists he was not speeding due to heavy market traffic. He claims the bicycle collided with his rear tyre and says CCTV cameras will confirm his version. He added that heavy-vehicle drivers are often blamed even when they are not at fault.