In a major tragedy, at least 14 people, including four children, lost their lives on Tuesday when a passenger van rammed into a trailer and caught fire near Chakri interchange near Rawalpindi, said Motorway police. A spokesperson for the National Highways and Motorways Police said the ill-fated passenger van, travelling from Jhang to Rawalpindi, caught fire after the accident.
Fire fighters doused the fire before rescuing the injured. Three children were among the five passengers who died on the spot; the remaining injured were rushed to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Islamabad, where nine more people succumbed to their burn wounds, said Khokhar. Two women were among the three injured who were later taken to the Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Khokhar added.
The survivors are also in a critical condition, said the NH&MP official. The condition of the bodies is beyond recognition, so DNA tests were being carried out to ascertain the deceased's identities, he added. Initial reports suggest that the fire erupted due to the CNG cylinders fitted in the van. The driver of the van was identified as Asif. Officials, however, believed that the van driver was responsible for the accident as he had allegedly fallen asleep and lost control of the vehicle.
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