Eight killed, several others inured in Panjgur bus, oil vehicle collision

QUETTA: At least eight people were burnt to death and several others injured when a passenger bus collided with an oil-laden vehicle on the CPEC highway in Panjgur district of Balochistan, police said on Saturday.

The collision, which occurred due to speeding, triggered a massive fire that engulfed both vehicles.

Police said five deaths were reported initially, but the toll rose to eight after one injured victim died before reaching hospital and two others later succumbed to injuries.

Rescue officials said that the bodies and injured were immediately shifted to the Teaching Hospital Panjgur, where treatment of the injured was under way.

The rescue operation has since been completed.

Police have launched an investigation, while initial findings point to speeding as the primary cause of the accident.

The tragedy highlights the serious road safety issues in Balochistan, where poor road conditions and unfit vehicles frequently cause deadly accidents.

Locals have demanded that safety measures on the CPEC highway be made more stringent.

In July, six people including women and children were killed in  a deadly collision between a passenger bus and a trailer near Langar Sarai.

According to rescue officials, the accident occurred early Saturday morning when a passenger bus traveling from Alipur to Lahore collided head-on with an oncoming trailer.

Among the dead were two men, two women, and two children. Rescue teams rushed to the scene and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital after providing first aid.