33 die, 40 injured as bus collides with truck near DG Khan

DERA GHAZI KHAN: At least 33 passengers died while over 40 were injured when a Rajanpur-bound overloaded bus collided head on with a truck on Monday morning.

Most of the victims belonged to Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts. The injured were shifted to the district headquarters hospital while the bodies were sent to their respective areas.

As per police and Rescue officials, the bus coming from Sialkot collided with the truck on the Indus Highway, some 15 kilometres from Dera Ghazi Khan due to over speeding and overloading.

The dead have been identified as Muhammad Babur, Muhammad Imran, Kaleemullah, Muhammad Zahid, Awais Fareed Chandia, Naeem Zohrani, Sadiq Hussain, Muhammad Jaafar Buzdar, Muhammad Irfan Bazger, Dost Ali, Abdul Razzaq, Azam Hussain, Muhammad Abid Darkhan, Muhammad Ismail Gujjar, Muhammad Samael, Muhammad Haneef, Muhammad Akram, Ismail Ahmed, Jamshed Ahmed, Ghulam Murtaza, Ismail Khan, Kouro Khan, Zahid Hussain, Abdul Razzaq, Farooq Ahmed, Muhammad Tariq, Haneef Khan, Hafiz Sajjad, Muhammad Shamsher, Dost Baloch and bus driver Muhammad Ishfaq. One of the bodies could not be identified.

As per sources, around 27 passengers were travelling on the roof of the bus. The Rescue officials said 27 passengers died on the spot and six in the hospital. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed shock over the accident. He tweeted: “Shocked & deeply saddened to learn of the tragic road accident of a Rajanpur-bound bus, near DG Khan. Have asked the Punjab govt to offer rapid assistance & support to the families of the victims.”

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has directed the CMIT to hold investigations into the accident and submit a report within three days. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry also expressed sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the accident. In a tweet, he said: "When will we as a nation realize that violating traffic rules is fatal." He said public transport drivers are the guardians of people’s lives and must exhibit extra care.