The victims include seven members of a family of Nazimabad, Karachi seven members of a family of Jacobabad and the driver of the ill-fated coach.
The victims' bodies are beyond recognition. According to reports, seven deceased have been identified as Syed Akhtar Hussain Naqvi, resident of Nazimabad, Karachi, his wife and five daughters. While injured Raja Pahore of Jacobabad, hospitalised in Civil Hospital Hyderabad, confirmed death of his four sons, a daughter and two nephews.
Sajjad Ali, a student of Khairpur University and hospitalised at the Civil Hospital Hyderabad told Business Recorder that the visibility was poor due to fog and drizzling and the wiper of the bus was not working.
The driver was conscious of the fact and stopped the bus several times to clean the windscreen. But when the bus reached near New Saeedabad Toll Plaza bypass it rammed into an oil tanker and immediately caught fire. Most of the passengers were sleeping at the time of the incident. Around eight passengers succeeded in escaping by smashing the windowpanes.
A police official said it was the most horrible scene when he reached there, as passengers were burning alive. However, after hectic efforts the fire fighters succeeded in controlling the fire.