PINDI BHATTIAN – A tragic incident unfolded on the Faisalabad Motorway near Pindi Bhattian on Sunday, claiming the lives of 18 individuals, including women and children. Additionally, 15 people sustained injuries when a passenger bus collided with a pickup truck transporting diesel drums, resulting in a devastating fire.
The ill-fated bus, carrying approximately 35 to 40 passengers en route from Karachi to Islamabad, saw the loss of lives of both vehicle drivers. The injured were swiftly transported to Pindi Bhattian and Faisalabad Hospital under the supervision of the medical superintendent.
The collision occurred around 4am near the Pindi-Bhattian Interchange, initiated by the bus striking the pickup carrying the flammable cargo, as reported by District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Fahad. Tragically, the bus was soon engulfed in flames after the collision.
Local residents rushed to the scene, bravely breaking windows to rescue passengers trapped within the burning bus. Among the injured, four are in critical condition and were promptly admitted to the hospital.
DPO Dr Fahad also conveyed that 18 bodies have been recovered from the bus and will undergo identification through DNA testing. This incident adds to the grim statistics of highway accidents that have claimed numerous lives.
Motorway authorities had to close two lanes of the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway during the June incident, keeping only one lane open for traffic.
In a separate incident in July, five people, including a woman and two minors, lost their lives, while 20 others sustained injuries when a bus overturned in Punjab’s Rajanpur district. The bus, carrying devotees of a Sufi saint, was returning from Sakhi Sarwar to Jacobabad when the driver lost control of the vehicle due to fatigue.
