At least 20 killed when bus crashes into fuel truck

• Authorities reported that at least 20 people have died in a tragic collision.
• The crash occurred between a bus and a fuel truck.
• Apparently, the bus driver caused the accident.

Tragedy on the road. Police and rescuers reported that at least 20 people have been killed in a violent collision between a bus and a fuel tanker on a highway in eastern Pakistan before dawn on Tuesday, August 16.

The crash with the bus and truck instantly caused a fire in which at least two dozen people died, as confirmed by the authorities cited by ABC News and the AP news agency. The accident occurred near the town of Jalalpur Peerwala, in the province of Punjab.

Tragedy on the road: 20 dead in fiery crash

The passenger bus was traveling from the eastern city of Lahora to the southern port of Karachi. The AP reported that Tahir Wattoo, a local government official in Multan, the nearest district, initially said the bus driver had caused the crash.

The bus driver, who was also killed, crashed into the rear of the tanker, according to footage from the scene. The injured were taken to hospitals and at least six passengers were in critical condition, the local government official in Multan added.

Some were burned alive after the bus and truck collided

“After the collision, both the bus and the tanker caught fire and the passengers were burned alive. Six passengers who suffered burns have been taken to Nishtar Hospital in Multan, where their condition is said to be critical,» a spokesperson for Rescue 1122 said, according to the report from ILKHA.

The AP also reported that, after the spectacular accident, some of the bodies were too burned to be identified and forensic experts would have to carry out DNA tests to identify the remains before handing over the bodies to the families.

The Prime Minister speaks after the incident

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif conveyed his condolences in a statement and asked the health authorities to offer the best possible treatment to the injured. Fatal traffic accidents are common in Pakistan due to poor infrastructure and poor enforcement of traffic regulations, the AP report noted.

Traffic remained suspended on the Multan highway, 350 kilometers from Lahore, for several hours after the huge explosion occurred due to the collision of the passenger bus and the tanker truck, said ILKHA, which also noted that the excess speed was a determining factor in the tragedy.

Painful end for another bus in Pakistan

On the other hand, at the beginning of July, a passenger bus was reported falling into a deep ravine. The authorities immediately went to the scene, where unfortunately they confirmed the worst with the passengers traveling in the vehicle.

According to the Agency Associated Press authorities reported a total of 19 people killed and 12 injured on Sunday in southwestern Pakistan when a passenger bus fell from a mountain road into a deep ravine amid heavy rain, according to a government official.