BAHAWALPUR – As heart wrenching stories are being flashed on television screens regarding the Bahawalpur oil tanker fire that killed over 140 people on Sunday, an eye witness also shared his part of the story about the tragedy.

Shaheryar Hassan, who was on the highway early Sunday detailed that he saw a mammoth cloud of smoke bellowing down the road near Ahmadpur East (Tehsil of Bahawalpur) and as soon as he went near the site, he could see a lot of people crying helplessly.

According to Shaheryar, many bikes and cars were also on fire. Sensing the severity of the incident, he moved closer to the site where locals narrated the episode to him as under:

“An oil tanker just overturned and started to leak. In few seconds, many people came near the tanker to get the oil. There were many people who were trying to get the oil. They were on the bikes and on foot too (Don’t know about the people in the car). People from nearby also reached there to get the oil. Suddenly THE TANKER CAUGHT FIRE. Many people were there, and some rushed here and there to save their lives ” (Sic)

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He detailed that there was a canal near the Pakka Pul where the oil tanker turned upside down and many of the injured might have jumped into that as it was radiating enormous heat.

It bears mentioning that according to rescue sources, as many as 125 people have been reported dead while around 100 are severely injured.

Chief Minister Punjab Shhebaz Sharif expressed grief over the incident and directed the authorities to provide best medical facilities to the victim. He also deployed Punjab government’s helicopter to aid the rescue operation.

COAS General Bajwa Orders Assistance to Civil Administration

Chief of Army Staff general Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed grief on 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 evacuation of casualties.

https://twitter.com/OfficialDGISPR/status/878838703610671104

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