BAHAWALPUR: Two more victims of Ahmedpur East oil tanker fire on Saturday succumbed to injuries , taking the death toll to 193.
According to focal person Dr Amir Mahmood, one of the injured died at Jinnah Hospital, Lahore while another succumbed to the burns at CMH. So far 62 bodies have been handed over to the families after identification. 125 victims have been laid to rest after collection of their DNA samples.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Siraj-ul Haq visited families of the victims of the tragedy in Ahmedpur East and assured them of every possible help.
Addressing media on the occasion, Siraj urged the Supreme Court to take suo moto notice of the incident.
“Government institutions cannot be relied upon for investigation. The Supreme Court should take suo moto notice and investigate the tragedy [itself],” he said.
The JI Ameer insisted that many lives could have been saved if the administration had acted responsibly.
“This tragedy occurred due to poverty and deprivation. The government is to blame for the deprivation in this area. Many lives could have been saved if there was a burn centre in Bahawalpur,” he said.
“Both the prime minister and [provincial] chief minister visited here but no burn centre was announced,” he added.
The incident took place on a route of the National Highway on June 25, a day before Eid was to be celebrated in most parts of the country. A large number of people were charred to death on the spot as the overturned oil tanker exploded into an inferno. They included passers-by and residents of a nearby area, who had gathered to collect oil that was leaking from the tanker.
