14 die as passenger coach overturns near Sukkur

SUKKUR: Fourteen people were killed when a Karachi-bound passenger coach overturned due to overspeeding in the Kalar Goth area in Rohri near here on Thursday. Reports said the incident took place on the National Highway when a passenger coach overturned due to overspeeding.

As a result, 14 people died on the spot while over 20 sustained injuries. On being informed, rescue teams reached the accident site and shifted the dead and injured to the Taluka Hospital Rohri, GMMC Hospital Sukkur and the CMH Hospital Pano Aqil Cantonment. The coach was going to Karachi from Multan.

According to the rescue sources, emergency was declared in all hospitals of Rohri, Pano Aqil and Sukkur. The death toll may increase as some injured passengers are in critical condition. Deputy Commissioner Sukkur Rana Adeel and SSP Sukkur Irfan Samoo also reached the spot to supervise the rescue operation. All passengers trapped in the coach have been evacuated.

Later, the bus was lifted by a crane following a rescue operation by the local people besides personnel of the district and Motorway Police. Eye-witnesses said the incident occurred due to overspeeding, adding some passengers were travelling on the rooftop of the bus and most of the passengers were sleeping at the time of the accident. The victims, mostly residents of Multan, were returning to Karachi after Eid holidays. The dead were identified as Muhammed Riaz, his brother Ghulam Abbas, Muhammed Ajmal, Allah Ditto, Ali Akbar, Kamran, Nadeem, Muhammed Rafiq, Muhammed Aslam and Asif Ali. Some of the bodies were later ferried to Multan while at least four bodies could not be recognised yet. The condition of nine victims is said to be serious and they are being treated at the Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College, Civil Hospital Sukkur.

Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the Sukkur administration to ensure provision of all medical facilities to the injured.