Collision with pickup loaded with diesel: 18 killed as passenger bus catches fire near Pindi Bhattian

When bus reached near Pindi Bhattian Motorway Interchange, fire suddenly erupted in bus due to short-circuiting

By Syed Muhammad Zamir

August 21, 2023

A bus can be seen on fire on the motorway near Nooriabad, on October 12, 2022. — Twitter

HAFIZABAD: Eighteen people, including five women and children, were burnt to death while 15 others received serious injuries when a Karachi-Islamabad bound bus hit a pickup loaded with diesel from rear on the M-4 near Pindi Bhattian Motorway Interchange, about 50 kms from here early Sunday morning.

According to the Motorway Police and rescue sources, the accident occurred at 4:15am on Sunday. When the bus, registration number E-4750, reached near the Pindi Bhattian Motorway Interchange, fire suddenly erupted in the bus due to short-circuiting. As a result, the driver of the bus lost control over the steering and hit the pickup and the fire engulfed the vehicles.

According to Dr Athar Majeed, Medical Superintendent, THQ, Pindi Bhattian, 18 bodies, including two from the pickup, were shifted to THQ Hospital whereas most of the injured jumped out of the bus after breaking the windowpanes. Fifteen injured were shifted to the THQ Hospital, Pindi Bhattian. Three of the seriously injured were later shifted to the Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, where their condition was serious.

Caretaker Federal Minister Shahid Ashraf Tarar, IGP Motorway Sultan Ali Khawaja, Deputy Commissioner Hafizabad Umar Farooq Warraich and District Police Officer Hafizabad Dr Fahad Ahmad visited the place of the accident and THQ hospital Pindi Bhattian.

The IGP Motorway constituted an inquiry committee to ascertain the causes of the accident and present a report in 24 hours. He also suspended the beat commander and night shift patrolling officers of M-4. According to preliminary investigation of the Motorway Police, the accident took place due to the negligence of the bus driver.

According to the THQ hospital and police source, bodies have not yet been identified and their identification would be made after DNA tests. However, 12 injured persons admitted to THQ Hospital, Pindi Bhattian, have been identified. The injured are Umar, Aalia Umar of Faisalabad, Imdad of Khairpur, Sajid, Sabir and Nazir of Karachi, Ubaira and Musfia of Jalalpur Bhattian, Usman and Gulzar of Multan, Imtiaz and Zeeshan of unknown place.