- Nine of a family amongst those killed, death toll expected to rise
- Bodies charred beyond recognition, samples collected for DNA testing to ascertain victims’ identity
A deadly road accident between an oil tanker and passenger coach late Saturday night left at least 62 dead with scores wounded as both vehicles caught fire, hospital officials said.
The collision occurred at the National Highway when the bus was en route to Shikarpur from Karachi. Investigation into the cause of the accident is still underway. Rescue workers were busy evacuating bodies and any injured at the fiery site.
“We have received more than 57 bodies but the death toll may rise as most of them are completely burnt and stuck to each other,” said Karachi’s Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) Deputy Executive Director Dr Seemi Jamali.
Jamali said the bodies of at least six children were stuck to women who may have been their mothers, adding it was impossible to separate the remains.
“They are beyond recognition, they can only be identified by DNA test,” she said.
Gul Hassan, a resident of Karachi, said he lost 9 relatives including the 80-year-old head of the family and a two-year-old child.
The dead also included two women and another child, Hassan said.
“They were travelling in the same bus. I cannot recognise any of them, all the bodies are completely burnt,” he said.
Rescue sources said that Ata Muhammed, the driver of the ill-fated bus was also among the deceased, adding that the fire had already enveloped the bus before the fire-brigade reached the site from Landhi.
This is the second major fatal crash in Sindh province in less than three months.
Close to 9,000 road accidents are reported to the police every year since 2011, killing over 4,500 people on average, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
MEDICO-LEGAL FORMALITIES UNDERWAY:
In the meanwhile, in order to identify the charred bodies, JPMC’s Medico-legal Department has asked for blood samples from those claiming to be immediate family members of the victims.
Talking to reporters, Dr Jamali said that sample collection of each of the 59 charred bodies is also in process for providing them to police.
“Since a blood sample cannot be obtained from these mutilated bodies, we have to collect parts as essential samples,” she said, adding that the sample collection would be completed by Sunday evening and the samples would be handed to the police authorities to be despatched to National Forensic Laboratory Centre Islamabad to ascertain the identity of the dead.
Dr Jamali said the bodies would be placed at Edhi Welfare Trust’s mortuary till all legal formalities were completed.
WHO IS TO BLAME?
Various reasons were cited for the accident including the poor condition of the track, overloading of the bus, negligence of either the driver of the oil tanker or the bus or both and the failure of the fire brigade to arrive in time.
Taking notice of the accident, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan has directed an enquiry into the mishap.
Talking to reporters, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said the accident occurred mainly due to the mistake of oil tanker’s driver, adding the people responsible for the mishap will not be spared.
“The bus and all passengers were so badly burnt that we have to carry out DNA tests for identification,” said the minister.
Earlier, senior police official Rao Mohammad Anwaar said the bus “hit the oil tanker, which according to initial reports was coming in the wrong direction” and caught fire.
Another senior police official Aamir Shiekh said an investigation has been launched but it appeared the poor condition of the single track road also contributed to the cause of the accident.
“We are trying to ascertain if the driver of the oil tanker was solely at fault or whether the bus driver also showed negligence,” Anwaar said.
A few passengers escaped unhurt after they jumped out of the bus windows, police official Mohammad Jan said.
According to Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Siddiqui, the crash was the result of negligence on the part of the oil tanker driver. Due to the presence of petrol, the flames were difficult to control, he added.
Arriving on the accident site along with the commissioner, Sindh Transport Minister Mir Mumtaz Hussain Jakhrani said, “Had the fire-fighting vehicles arrived from Steel Town on time, there would not have been so much damage.”
It will be investigated why the fire brigade failed to reach the site in time, he said, adding that the Steel Town manager displayed dereliction of duty.
“Steel Town manager should have immediately dispatched the fire-fighters,” said the minister
One survivor said that the passenger bus was overcrowded, a common practice amongst local public transport operators in the absence of safety regulations.
It should be mentioned here that three hours after the accident, traffic was restored on the road. The accident site was washed even before the investigation and the oil tanker and gutted bus were removed from the road.
CONDOLENCES:
Following the incident, President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, NA Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the loss of precious lives and extended condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.
The premier also directed for provision of best medical facilities to the injured and directed the authorities concerned to take steps to improve road safety.
Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Chairman Altaf Hussain also expressed condolence to the bereaved families and directed MQM workers and volunteers to help in the rescue operation.
