13 perish in passenger van blaze in Nooriabad

KARACHI: In a horrific tragedy, at least 13 people were burnt to death and seven were injured after a Karachi-bound passenger van caught fire near the Lucky Cement Factory on Super Highway near Nooriabad in Jamshoro district on Saturday night.

The number of causalities is feared to rise. The Karachi-bound van coming from Hyderabad was carrying 20 passengers, according to the Motorway police. The surviving seven are undergoing treatment for varying injuries at a Nooriabad hospital.

The police said that the fire was so intense that most of the bodies were charred beyond recognition and their DNA samples were being taken to identify them. By the time the Motorway police or any voluntary rescue organisations could reach the spot, seven of the passengers had managed to get out of the burning van.

Nothing credible could be learnt about the actual cause of the incident and the Motorway Police also denied any specific knowledge. However, the spokesperson said apparently, the vehicle’s bumper broke off somehow, bursting one of its tyres, following which the driver lost control of the vehicle,” Motorway Police spokesperson Turab Shah told The News.

The vehicle coming from Hyderabad veered off the road and was engulfed in a massive ball of fire. The videos circulating on the social media show the passenger van engulfed in a massive blaze which reducing it to cinders. Later, the firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze.

Shortly after the incident, the Motorway Police besides other welfare organisation reached the accident site and shifted the seven surviving passengers to a hospital in Nooriabad.

The huge fire had reduced the van to a total wreck and most of the deceased could not be recognised due to the severity of burns. The injured removed to a hospital in Nooriabad were undergoing treatment.