At least 13 people were killed and seven others were injured as a passenger van caught fire after it overturned on Super Highway Saturday night, according to rescue workers.
The van overturned because its tie rod broke, according to the M9 highway police. The police, however, has yet to identify the cause of the fire.
At least 20 people were traveling to Karachi from Hyderabad in the van, said police. According to Edhi workers, they shifted several injured people to the hospital.
Rescue teams and fire brigade vehicles had reached the spot after the motorway police sought their help, said eyewitnesses. The rescue operation is now complete.
13 passengers burnt to death. 6 others sustained severe injuries.
According to Additional IG Motorway Police Dr. Aftab Pathan, the ill-fated passenger van overturned near the cement factory after taking a number of turns and caught fire due to a short circuit.
A passenger van, carrying 22 passengers, was coming from Hyderabad to Karachi. It overturned near a cement factory–40 kilometers away from Karachi toll plaza.
Rescue officials, after being informed rushed to there and shifted the bodies and injured to Nooriabad hospital. The fire tenders also reached the site to extinguish the fire. At least eight passengers died on the spot.
According to Dr Aftab Pathan, the van driver applied brakes after the bonnet of a car moving in front of him broke away and hit the van. The driver lost control of the vehicle and the van overturned after taking a number of turns.
M9 Highway Traffic Suspended
Meanwhile, the flow of vehicular traffic suspended after the Motorway Police closed the Hyderabad-Karachi section of M-9.
Bilawal Bhutto expressed grief
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed grief over the deaths of innocent people in the motorway van accident and has directed the authorities to provide better medical facilities to the injured.
He has also summoned a report from Sindh Transport Minister Awais Qadir Shah.
Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has also expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives and directed Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner Fuad Ghaffar Soomro to provide the best medical assistance to the injured.