HAFIZABAD: At least 20 people including six of same family died and 15 others sustained multiple injuries when a passenger bus caught fire after hitting a pick-up van laden with drums of diesel on M-3 Motorway near Pindi Bhattian.
A statement issued by the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) said that timely action was taken and 15 passengers were safely evacuated. The dead and injured passengers were shifted to the hospital, it said.
NHMP further said that Inspector General Sultan Ali Khawaja also visited the scene of the accident and oversaw relief work. He also expressed grief over the lives lost in the accident.
Hafizabad District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Fahad Ahmad told the media that the passenger bus was heading for Islamabad from Karachi, adding that the accident occurred at 4:30am.
The DPO said that the passenger bus had collided with the pick-up truck, which caused the former to burst into flames. He said that the drivers of both vehicles were killed in the accident.
He said that the seriously injured, some of whom were critical, were being shifted to a hospital in Faisalabad.
The accident happened because the driver of the passenger bus fell asleep and his vehicle smashed into a pick-up van carrying drums of diesel. The bus suddenly caught fire. As a result, 20 passengers died and 15 sustained serious injuries.
The process of identifying the burnt passengers is still going on and the officials said the Islamabad-bound bus, coming from Karachi, was carrying 35-40 passengers.
Hafizabad DPO Dr Fahad said that bodies of the passengers died in the accident have been shifted to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital. He said that the fire engulfed the bus shortly after it hit the pick-up. He said most of the injured are in critical condition.
According to Rescue 1122, its teams reached the scene within five minutes of being informed.
Among those who died in the accident included six members of a same family, while those injured belonging to Karachi, Khairpur, Faisalabad, Jalalpur Bhattian, and Pindi Bhattian.
Hafizabad DSP Ahsan Zafar said that the passenger bus was burnt into ashes after crashing into the van carrying drums of diesel.
People nearby tried to pull the passengers out of the bus by breaking windows. The accident happened around 4:30 in the morning while the fire was brought under control after the hectic efforts of an hour.
A surviving passenger in the vehicle said that the bus driver was changed at Rahim Yar Khan while the petrol of the vehicle started leaking near the M3 toll plaza on Pindi Bhattian.
Later, Punjab caretaker Transport Minister Ibrahim Murad expressed grief in a statement on the loss of 18 lives in the accident and extended condolences to the bereaved.
He said those responsible for the deadly accident would be taken to task after an investigation.
The interim minister said 33 passengers were travelling in the ill-fated bus and the 12 injured among them were being provided with the best possible medical facilities.
He lamented that “bus company owners do not ensure the fitness of their vehicles in the country” and emphasised the need for a strategy to prevent the entry of “unfit vehicles” in Punjab and other provinces.
Caretaker PM, President, Info minister aggrieved at loss of precious lives
Meanwhile, Radio Pakistan said that Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq, President Dr Arif Alvi and Interim Information Minister Murtaza Solangi expressed sorrow over the bus accident. They stressed the need to determine the reasons behind the accident in order to avoid the same in the future.
They ordered the departments concerned to take ensure best treatment facilities to the injured and take effective measures to avoid such incidents in the future.
They also sympathized with the bereaved families and prayed for those killed in the accident.
Meanwhile, Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed sorrow over the loss of precious human lives due to the fire in a passenger coach near Pindi Bhattian.
The chief minister expressed heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the families of the deceased. He also sought a report on the tragic incident from the administration and the police.
“The best treatment facilities should be provided to the injured,” he directed.
“The Punjab government equally shares the grief of the bereaved families,” he stated.
