At least nine people were killed and 50 injured on Friday when a passenger bus ran into a tree. The injured were taken to Bahawal Victoria Hospital in Bahawalpur where five were reported to be in critical condition.
Police said the bus was on its way to Bahawalpur when it met the accident on Hasilpur Road. Witnesses said that the driver apparently tried to avoid a motorcycle driving in the opposite direction. The bus ran into a tree and overturned, they told the police.
Eight people, including two children, died on the spot. Another died at the hospital, where the injured were taken in Rescue 1122 ambulances. The 50 injured include the two men riding the motorcycle.
Dr Aziz at the Bahawal Victoria Hospital said that five of the injured were in critical condition. One of them, he said, was a woman who was burned apparently from the radiator water. He said 60 per cent of her skin was affected. There was a child among the critically injured.
Rescue 1122 Divisional Officer Asif Rahim Channar told The Express Tribune that the accident occurred at around 3:30pm. He said the Rescue team arrived at the scene in seven minutes. Four ambulances and two fire brigades were used for the rescue operation. He said the bus’s bonnet had caught fire, which was put out in a few minutes.
Muhammad Imran, public relations officer to the district police officer, told The Express Tribune that an FIR had been registered against the driver for negligence and speeding. He said it was yet to be confirmed if the driver was among the deceased or the injured.
In a press statement, issued later on Friday, caretaker Chief Minister Najam Sethi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident. He directed the district administration to ensure that the injured were properly treated.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 20th, 2013.