BAHAWALNAGAR: Traders and residents of Bangla Yateemwala staged a demonstration and observed a shutdown strike on Thursday in protest againstrobberies.

According to protesters, a gang of at least seven robbers went on a looting spreefor atleast sixhours in the main bazaar of Bangla Yateemwala where they robbed Naem cloth shop and Kashif electronics, taking away valuables worth Rs11 million.

They said the robbers held many people hostage, including three watchmen of the market, a hotel owner and some passersby and tied them with a rope, depriving them of cash. In the meantime, the robbers stopped a 10-wheeler truck and took away Rs80,000 from the passengers, they added.

They alleged that immediately after the incident, they calledpolice 15 who reached the spot after two hours.

A forensic team from Bahawalpur gathered evidence from the crime scene. Haroonabad DSP Malik Ijaz told Dawn that pickets had been set up in the entire area and the robbers would be nabbed soon. He said goods and cash worth approximately Rs9.5m were looted and no clue had been found so far.

TWO SIBLINGS DIE IN ACCIDENT: A youth and his sister lost their lives in an accident near Qaziwala Road at Chak 40 Fateh, Chishtian, on Thursday.

The siblings lost their lives in a collision between a motorcycle and a van.

They were students of a private college.

According to Rescue 1122 sources, Noreen and Muhammad Ali were going to college when a speeding van coming from the opposite direction hit them. Noreen died on the spot while Ali was taken to the THQ Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.