At least 10 people, including three children, were burnt to death and seven others injured when a van carrying 17 passengers caught fire after a collision with another vehicle in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
The Lahore-bound van from Rawalpindi met with the accident in Gujranwala, some 80 kms from here.
According to Gujranwala Commissioner Zulfiqar Ghumman, the van with 17 passengers was hit from behind by a mini-tanker that caused loosening of the nozzle of the gas cylinder installed in it.
"The gas leakage triggered a blast in the gas cylinder and the passengers were burnt alive," he said, adding that 10 of them, including three children, perished on the spot.
The remaining seven were shifted to hospital where their condition was stated to be critical as they have severe burns, the commissioner said.
The drivers of both the vehicles managed to flee, he said, adding that the police have launched a manhunt for their arrest.
Four among the victims are from a family of Kyber Pakhtaunkhawa.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the tragic incident and ordered health authorities to provide best treatment to those fighting for their lives.
(Published 09 August 2021, 10:52 IST)
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