BAHAWALPUR – At least 200 people were burnt to death while around 100 others were left injured as an oil tanker caught fire after overturning on National Highway in Ahmedpur Sharqia near Bahawalpur this morning.
According to rescue sources, an oil tanker turned upside down on Pakka Pul apparently due to over speeding after which people from the village Basti Ramzan Joiya area swarmed the site to collect fuel that was spilling from the oil tanker however, unfortunately the fuel burst into flames.
Eyewitnesses said some people in the vicinity were smoking cigarettes, which could have ignited the deadly fire that killed 140 people including women and kids however, it is feared that the death toll could mount further.
Rescue workers shifted the injured to the Bahawalpur Victoria hospital. They said a DNA test would be needed for identification of deceased due to charred bodies.
Health Facilities
Medical Superintendent of Bahawalpur Victoria Hospital Dr. Amir Bukhari while talking to ARY News detailed that the district administration was facilitating the victims.
‘Emergency has been declared in hospitals’ said Dr. Amir.
On the other hand, the Deputy Commissioner of Bahawalpur Rana Muhamamd Saleem Afzal confirmed that there was no burns unit in Bahawalpur and the injured would be shifted to Multan for treatment.
Punjab’s law minister Rana Sana Ullah in a telephonic conversation with Ary News said that burns unit could not be established in each hospital adding that the driver of oil tanker was detained.
Traffic Diversion
Traffic was suspended on the National Highway route following the incident. However, the motorway police set up two diversions, near Noorpur Nauranga and further ahead of Dera Nawaz, as the highway is frequently used for travel between Bahawalpur and Lahore.
The diversions have been created also because the volume of traffic on the route is likely to increase as people would be using the National Highway to travel to their hometowns for Eid-ul-Fitr that is expected to be celebrated in many parts of Pakistan on Monday (tomorrow).
It bears mentioning that Sunday’s catastrophe was the deadliest one in the history of Bahawalpur located about 450 km south of provincial capital Lahore.
Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif deploys Helicopter
Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the accident and sought inquiry report besides directing civil administration to provide adequate health facilities to the injured.
He deployed helicopter of Punjab government to help the victims at the site.
Punjab govt’s spokesperson Malik Ahmed Khan while talking to Geo News expressed that the victims would be shifted to different hospitals across the province.
When asked whether all the hospitals across Punjab could handle the situation, Malik Ahmed Khan replied that he was collecting statistics after which he would be able to respond.
COAS General Bajwa Orders Assistance to Civil Administration
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed grief on the loss of lives and ordered provision of assistance to civil administration.
Director-General Intra-Services Public Relations took to Twitter and confirmed that Army helicopters were being sent for the evacuation of casualties.
https://twitter.com/OfficialDGISPR/status/878838703610671104
https://twitter.com/OfficialDGISPR/status/878838972755042304
The helicopters reached the site and started rescue operation to shift the severely injured to Multan and other cities for proper treatment.
Condolences
The tragedy that happened just a day before Pakistan is set to celebrate Eid ul Fit sent shock waves across the country. Scores of political leaders including defence minister Khawaja Asif and PTI chairman Imran Khan expressed condolences on Microblogging site.
https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/878851410560929793
https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/878851758142791681
https://twitter.com/AyazSadiq122/status/878853412657528832
https://twitter.com/KhawajaMAsif/status/878842922506100736
https://twitter.com/TahirulQadri/status/878856960879153152
https://twitter.com/usembislamabad/status/878859143347666945
https://twitter.com/AseefaBZ/status/878880205539954688
https://twitter.com/BakhtawarBZ/status/878843424673218561
https://twitter.com/ChMSarwar/status/878853466390745092
https://twitter.com/drishratulebad/status/878845470532972544
https://twitter.com/mubasherlucman/status/878850989893206016
https://twitter.com/HamidMirPAK/status/878831482827157505
https://twitter.com/asmashirazi/status/878852991499087877
https://twitter.com/AmirMateen2/status/878845513059024896
