Highway deaths

This refers to the news report, ‘Eight killed in van cylinder blast on Karachi-Hyderabad highway’ (February 23). This really is distressing and sad news. The passenger van reportedly veered off the highway after one of its tyres blew out and fell into a ditch, causing its gas cylinder to burst into flames.
The burned wreckage of the van presented a grim look. Highway tragedies are reported by the media and government officials send out sympathetic messages but at the end of the day no preparations are made to avert such tragic incidents. Most buses are packed beyond capacity. They lack emergency exit doors, while fuel tanks are loosely assembled. The causes of such tragic incidents are easy to identify and address. We need to improve the condition of our highways, increase patrolling by traffic police and have a rapid rescue response to accidents.
Nasir-ud-Din Soomro
Hyderabad