19 children burnt to death in school van explosion

At least 19 children and a school teacher were burnt to death while eight sustained severe burn injuries when a short circuit in a school van caused it to explode in Mangwal area of Gujrat.
Media reports said the children on board were between the ages of 8 and 15.
According to details, the ill-fated school van exploded at 7:40 am on its way back to Jinnah Public School Mangwal after picking up children from Rajay Ki and Kot Khagga localities of Gujrat.
The gas cylinder of the van exploded with a huge bang and fire engulfed the vehicle burning it to ashes.
Sources said a total of 20 to 25 children were on board.
The dead include three brothers.
The dead bodies and the injured were shifted to Aziz Bhatti District Headquarter Hospital where two children are stated to be in a critical condition.
Gujrat DPO Dar Ali Khattak told media personnel that the driver of the van escaped from the scene, adding that the incident took place due to short circuit and not because of a gas cylinder explosion.
However, police was later in the day able to trace the driver and took him into detention. Per the driver’s account, the explosion occurred due to short circuiting when he switched the vehicle from gas to petrol. He said none of the children had complained of petrol stench. The driver also stated that he did not own the van.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif and former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed grave sorrow over the tragic incident that took away lives of about 19 children.
They advised the bereaved families to bear their loss with patience and courage.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso also expressed shock and sorrow over the tragic incident.
They expressed sympathies with the families of those who lost their loved ones and directed the concerned authorities to provide the best medical care to the injured and all possible assistance to the bereaved families.