16 people, including women and children, died and 15 were injured when a pickup full of diesel drums caught fire on Faisalabad Motorway near Pindi Bhattian on Sunday morning.
According to rescue officials, the bus — carrying around 35-40 people — was traveling from Karachi to Islamabad. The drivers of both the vehicles also lost their lives.
The medical superintendent said that the injured have been shifted to Pindi Bhattian and Faisalabad Hospital.
The accident took place at 4 am near the Pindi-Bhattian interchange, when the bus collided with a pick-up van carrying diesel drums, District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Fahad said shortly after the collision. The fire engulfed the bus.
People nearby tried to get the passengers out of the bus by breaking the windows. The injured – four of whom are in a critical condition – were taken to hospital.
DPO Dr Fahad further said that 18 dead bodies have been recovered from the bus which will be identified through DNA test.
It should be noted that there have been many such highway accidents, in which many lives have been lost.
In July, five people, including a woman and two young children, were killed and 20 injured when a bus overturned in Fazilpur area of Rajanpur district of Punjab.
Rescue officials said the bus, with devotees of a Sufi saint on board, was returning to Jacobabad from Sakhi Sarwar when it overturned after the driver “fell asleep” and lost control of the vehicle.
The seriously injured were shifted to Rajanpur district hospital while others were shifted to Fazilpur local hospital.
The July accident came a few days after another unfortunate tragedy in the Gitidas area near Babusar Top, in which eight people were killed and scores injured.
The tourist bus fell into a deep ravine while taking a sharp turn in the hilly area and caught fire.
Earlier on July 16, six people were killed in a similar accident in Thilachi area of Diamar district.
In June, at least 12 people, including women and children, were killed and 24 injured when a passenger bus overturned on the Islamabad-Lahore Motorway near Kallar Kahar.
The Motorway Police said at that time that the bus was going from Rawalpindi to Lahore when the accident took place.
The spokesperson of NHMP says that two lanes of Lahore-Islamabad Motorway have been closed due to the accident while the third is open for traffic.
