MULTAN-(MaraviPost)-At least 20 people have died after massive blaze engulfed a passenger bus after it rammed into a fuel truck on a highway in eastern Pakistan on the wee hours of Tuesday, August 16, 2022.
A local government official in Multan, Tahir Wattoo, confirmed the news of the tragedy in an interview with the media on Tuesday, August 16.
According to Wattoo, the accident happened near the town of Jalalpur Peerwala in Punjab province when the bus was traveling from the eastern city of Lahore to the southern port city of Karachi.
Among the victims was the driver who died on the scene and several other were transferred to the nearest hospital for treatment, six were reportedly in critical condition, AP reported.
The initial reports indicated that the bus driver’s negligence had caused the collision and some of the bodies were burned beyond recognition.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and statement has asked the health authorities to provide the best possible treatment to the injured.
DNA tests will be conducted to identify the remains before the bodies are handed over to the families in the few days time.
Deadly traffic accidents are common in Pakistan and they are attributed to poor road conditions, lack of safety awareness and disregard for traffic rules.
