At least 13 people burned to death and five others were injured on Wednesday when a passenger bus collided with a truck near Spin Ali Banda area on Indus Highway of the Karak District. According to police, the passenger bus was travelling from Peshawar to Dera Ismail Khan when it collided with a pick-up truck and caught fire. After the collision, the gas cylinder fitted in the van exploded and the vehicle caught on fire. Eight people were also injured in the accident.

The injured and deceased have been shifted to District Headquarters Hospital Karak, police said. While the critical injured have been shifted to hospital in Peshawar. Meanwhile, Spokesman of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and Advisor to Chief Minister on merged districts, Ajmal Wazir expressed sorrow and grief over loss of precious lives in the road accident and expressed condolence with the bereaved families. He directed the Karak Deputy Commissioner and District Headquarter Hospital to ensure best medical treatment to injured people.

Ajmal Wazir said the provincial government will take steps to control over the incidents of cylinder blast. He said the strict action will be taken against the makers of sub-substandard gas cylinder and CNG kits. He said transport department and police will soon jointly start crackdown against the owners fitted sub-standard cylinder and CNG kits in their vehicles. PML-N provincial president, Ameer Muqam in his statement expressed deep sorrow and grief over losses of precious lives in the Karak road accident.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019