11 wedding party members burnt to death as bus catches fire

SUKKUR: Eleven members of a wedding party were burnt to death and 30 others sustained injuries after high-tension power cables fell on a bus carrying a wedding party in Khairpur Nathan Shah, a Tehsil of District Dadu, on Sunday.
The rescue teams soon reached the spot and rushed the victims to hospitals in Khairpur Nathan Shah, Dadu and Larkana. Among the 11 burnt were four women and three children.Eyewitnesses said a large iron box was placed on the roof of the bus. When the box hit the 11,000 KV high tension wires, there was an explosion and a fire quickly engulfed the bus.
Rescuers said three of the passengers were burnt alive on the spot while eight succumbed to their burn injuries in a local hospitalAmong the dead were Khalida, Amanat, Zuhra, Zahida, Farhan, Sarfaraz, Jaendo, Sohbat Khatoon, Pervez while the groom and his bride survived unhurt.
The burn victims were admitted to hospitals of Larkana, Dadu and Khairpur Nathan Shah. The condition of five victims is said to be critical. On the directive of Commissioner Larkana, Ghulam Akbar Leghari, Deputy Commissioner, Larkana, Javed Ali Jagirani, visited the victims at the Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH), Larkana. The commissioner directed the MS of CMC to ensure quality health facilities and free medicines for the victims. He also ordered the hospital administration to arrange the shifting of serious patients to Karachi. He also directed that all consultants, doctors and paramedics should be available round-the-clock to look after the patients.
Local PPP leaders also visited the accident victims. Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, MNA Faryal Talpur and President PPP Larkana MNA Muhammad Ayaz Soomro took notice of the incident.
Meanwhile, President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have expressed grief over the deaths and directed the best medical assistance to the injured. Agencies add: Twelve people, including women and children, were burnt alive and over 20 injured when a metal box containing dowry goods kept on the roof of the bus struck a 11,000KV wire on the Indus Highway near Khairpur Nathan Shah on Sunday.
The marriage party was going back home to village Allah Ditto Babar from Dadu after solemnising a marriage. The bus caught fire and 12 people including women and children and mother of groom were burnt alive and over 20 injured. The driver and the cleaner of the bus fled.
Chief Casualty Medical Officer Dr Hafiz Gulab Morio said seven injured had arrived at the CMCH, including 55-year Beebul, eight-year-old girl Sakina, daughter of Sikander Babar, eight-year-old girl Khalida, daughter of Nazir Ahmed, seven-year-old boy Shahzaib, son of Azam Babar, 14-year-old girl Perveen, daughter of Sikandar Babar, and Aamir, son of Dhani Bux.
Dr Morio said that 10-year-old boy Farhan, son of Majeed Babar, was brought dead to the CMCH. He said that condition of two kids, Khalida and Shahzaib, was serious.The heirs of the injured told reporters in Larkana the high-tension electricity wires were loose, for which Wapda officials should be taken to task adding that the death toll also rose because of the late arrival of ambulances from Dadu and nearby hospitals. They said that the only ambulance at the KN Shah Taluka Hospital was out of order.
The injured include Khamiso Khan, Hassan Ali, Majid Ali, Hurmat, daughter of Shaman, Tasleem, Phapul and Ghulam Qadir.Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), has expressed deep grief and sorrow on the loss of over a dozen people of the wedding party.