At least 20 people were killed and six injured early Tuesday morning when a passenger bus ploughed into an oil tanker and caught fire on Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M-5) near Jalal Pur Pirwala Interchange.
The sleeper bus departed at 9pm on Monday and was heading to Karachi from Lahore. Around 25 people were on board with 22 passengers bound for Karachi and two for Hyderabad.
Multan Deputy Commissioner Tahir Wattoo confirmed the incident in a tweet, saying the bus collided with the oil tanker. Multan Commissioner Amir Khattak also confirmed the incident in a tweet that took place around 4am.
According to Rescue 1122 Multan, the bodies and injured have been shifted to Nishter Hospital Multan.
The spokesperson for 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 speeding 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 also expressed grief over the loss and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
He directed the relevant authorities to provide “the best possible medical treatment” to the injured and to cooperate with the families of the deceased to identify them.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the bus accident.
He expressed his sympathies with the bereaved families of the 20 persons, who lost their lives in the accident on M-5 bus accident, said a spokesman of Bilawal house. He prayed for the higher ranks of the deceased in Jannah.
Bilawal asked the Punjab government to provide medical treatment to the injured persons of the accident. He also prayed for the early recovery of the injured persons.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb Tuesday expressed grief over the loss of precious lives in the traffic accident.
In a statement, the minister expressed her sympathies and condolences with the families of the deceased.
She said all were grieved over the tragic accident and shared the grief of the bereaved families.
Marriyum Aurangzeb prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the departed souls in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved families to bear this loss with fortitude. She also prayed for the speedy recovery of the persons injured in the accident.
