The collision between a passenger bus and an oil tanker left at least 20 people dead and six others injured on the Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M-5) at Jalalpur Peerwala interchange in the early hours of Tuesday, August 16. The ill-fated bus left from Lahore for Karachi at 9pm.
Following the incident, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the incident and prayed for the deceased and their families.
“I am saddened by the loss of 20 precious lives in the accident. My prayers are with the bereaved families,” he tweeted.
Multan Commissioner Amir Khattak confirmed the development on Twitter. According to him, the tragic accident had taken place around 4am. He also shared photographs of the scene.
However, a statement issued by Rescue 1122’s provincial monitoring centre in Lahore said the accident took place at 2:20am.
A Motorway Police spokesperson revealed that the tanker was carrying thousands of litres of petrol. He added that the apparent cause of the accident was the bus driver falling asleep, reports Dawn.
According to the Motorway Police, both vehicles the oil tanker and the bus caught fire soon after the collision. The officers of the Motorway Police immediately reached the spot after the accident took place. Local police and Rescue 1122 teams also reached the spot.
The police added that the fire was so intense and terrifying that it was visible from a distance. At least nine passengers were safely rescued from the burning bus.
According to the bus company sources, there were two drivers aboard the bus. All staff was to be changed in Sukkur. There were a total of 24 passengers on board. Two passengers were going to Hyderabad, while the others were en route to Karachi.
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi demanded a report on the incident from the Multan commissioner. He also expressed grief over the loss of lives.
