MULTAN: At least 20 people lost their lives as a passenger bus caught fire after a collision with an oil tanker at Motorway-5 in Multan on Tuesday.

According to details, the accident occurred at Motorway M5 in Uch Sharif near Multan where a bus going to Karachi from Lahore collided with an oil tanker due to which both vehicles caught fire, killing at least 20 persons and injuring six others.

Motorway police and rescue teams reached the spot after the accident and started rescue operations. The injured and bodies were moved to Nishtar Hospital, Multan.

It has been learnt that the accident reportedly occurred after the driver of the passenger bus fall asleep. The identity of the dead and injured could not be ascertained as per initial reports.

Meanwhile, Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has expressed grief over the deadly road crash and extended his condolences to the bereaved families.

Summoning report from the concerned authorities, Elahi directed the Multan commissioner to provide best medical facilities to the victims of the bus crash.