In a tragic accident on Monday, a bus full of schoolchildren and a few teachers plunged into a ravine off the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway near Kallar Kahar in the Salt Range area of Chakwal after the driver lost control, killing 37 and injuring many others.
All the schoolchildren, aged between 12 and 14, were students of Millat Public School, Faisalabad, on their way back from Islamabad after completing a study tour. A private TV channel reported that 36 children and the school’s vice principal, named Hafeez Anwar, were confirmed dead and the toll could rise because of the severity of injuries. Kalar Kahar Police Station House Officer Malik Ishan told reporters the crash took place near the Salt Range after the vehicle’s brakes failed and the driver lost control.
Over 100 students were aboard the bus, accompanied by four teachers. The injured were shifted to District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, Chakwal, CMH Chakwal and other nearby hospitals. Rescue officials and army are working to evacuate students still trapped inside the bus, and heavy machinery from construction companies has also been requested to aid the rescue process. Local people helped rescue workers move the injured children and dead bodies out of the ravine to ambulances.
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Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Alamgir said around 35 injured children had been brought to the hospital, four of whom were in critical condition.TV channels showed footage of the wrecked bus, which had been almost completely flattened. Eyewitnesses said rescue personnel had to cut through the bus to get some of the children out. “Twenty children died on the spot and the rest succumbed to their injuries while being taken to the hospital due to loss of blood,” hospital sources said.
Schools in Faisalabad will stay closed today (Tuesday) to mourn the students.