KARACHI: As many as 21 people, including women and children, were killed and five injured on Monday when a lorry toppled over and shed its load of coal onto a passenger van in Khairpur, Sindh, police said. The van was heading to Sukkur from Hingorja and met the accident while overtaking near Mehmood village at Shah Hussain bypass national highway in the jurisdiction of C-section police station. The passengers also included traders and labourers.A senior district police official said the truck was trying to overtake the van when it toppled and crushed the other vehicle. "The van (was) buried under the coal and at least 17 people including children and women died on the spot," Azfar Mahesar told AFP. Eight injured people were rushed to hospital but four subsequently died, said a hospital doctor. Several of the bodies were badly crushed by the coal. The deceased were identified as Naveed Hussain Solangi s/o Zulfiqar Ali Solangi, village Arab Solangi, and Hidayat Ali Solangi s/o Bangul Solangi of village Nawab Solangi, Jameel Solangi of villageArab Solangi, Asghar Ali Solangi, Abdul Rahseed Khuhro, Muhammad Ramzan Abassi, Tanveer Lund, Bachal Ujjan, Sadruddin Junejo, Shabir Ujjan, Amanullah Gopang, Khalil Laghari, Tanveer Ujjan , Amjad Ujjan, Banho Ujjan, Shah Murad, Patang Ali Rind, Azam Ali Kaleri, Kaleem Bukhari, Achhan Ujjan and others. The victims were the residents of Ranipur, Kumb, Drib Mehar Shah, Gambat and other areas. The truck driver fled from the scene after the incident. Pakistan has one of the world´s worst records for fatal traffic accidents, due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.
