LAHORE (HRNW) At least 20 people were killed and six injured on early Tuesday morning when a passenger bus crashed into an oil tanker and caught fire on the Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M-5) near the Jalal Pur Pirwala Interchange.
The sleeper bus was on its way to Karachi from Lahore and departed at 9pm on Monday. Around 25 people were on board with 22 passengers headed to Karachi and two to Hyderabad.
Multan Deputy Commissioner Tahir Wattoo confirmed the incident on his official Twitter handle, saying that the passenger bus collided with the oil tanker. Multan Commissioner Amir Khattak also confirmed the development in a tweet and said the accident had taken place around 4am.
According to Rescue 1122 Multan, the bodies and injured have been shifted to Nishter Hospital Multan.
The spokesperson of the Motorway Police said the bus caught fire as soon as the collision took place. It took several hours for the rescue teams to put out the fire.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire was so intense that the flames could be seen from several miles away.
Traffic remained suspended on the motorway for several hours after the accident.
While the cause of the crash has not been confirmed, some police officials opined that the bus was overspeeding while others allege that the driver had fallen asleep.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed grief over the incident and prayed for the deceased and their families. “I am saddened by the loss of 20 precious lives in the accident. My prayers are with the bereaved families,” he tweeted.
Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has also expressed expressed grief over the loss and extended condolences to the bereaved families.