Islamabad, Aug 20 (EFE).- At least 18 people died and 15 others were injured as a bus collided with a pick-up truck early Sunday in northern Pakistan, officials said.
The incident occurred around 4.30am at a highway near Pindi Bhattian in Punjab province, according to district police officer of Hafizabad, Fahad Ahmed.
“A passenger bus and a pick-up rammed into each other resulting in the killing of 18 people while 15 others were wounded,” Fahad told EFE.
He said the pick-up was carrying some fuel tanks which caught fire after the accident and both the vehicles were burned down.
“Even some dead bodies are not recognizable and a DNA test will be carried out for their identification,” the official added.
The district police chief said that out of the 15 injured, four are in critical condition and have been shifted to hospital in nearby Faisalabad city.
According to the police official the bus was headed to Islamabad from Karachi.
Caretaker chief minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi, in a statement, expressed his grief over the accident and ordered an inquiry into it, adding that action would be taken against those responsible.
Pakistan has one of the highest traffic accident rates in the world, attributed to the poor condition of roads and vehicles and severely overcrowded public transport.
According to government data, around 30,000 people die in road accidents annually in the country. EFE
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