Dangerous area: Five of a family killed in accident near Kallar Kahar

There were three children among the dead; bus driver escapes from scene.

RAWALPINDI:

Five members of a family including three children were killed in a road accident near Kallar Kahar on Saturday, said a motorway police official.

The ill-fated family was going to Khushab. When they reached the Balksar interchange near Kallar Kahar, a private bus carrying 27 passengers rear-ended the car, killing all five passengers, said Motorway police Sub Inspector Zulfiqar Haider.

The deceased, identified Asif Munir, 40, his wife Ghulam Sughra, 39, Talha Hussai, 2, Usama Hussain, 9, and Maria Hussain, 6, were shifted to District Headquarter Hospital Chakwal.

The police officer said that the ill-fated family was going to their hometown in their car (LEB 2423) when the speeding bus (LES 2799), belonging to privately-owned transport company, hit the car. “The accident was due to negligence on the part of the bus driver,” said the police.

According to eyewitnesses, the bus rammed into the car and pushed it around 200 metres before coming to a halt. The bus was going from Rawalpindi to Lahore. “We have impounded the bus and are trying to locate the driver, the police said.

According to the police, bus driver Muhammad Amin from Waziristan has been named in the first investigation report.

Motorways Deputy Superintendent of Police Asghar Ali Shah confirmed the incident. He claimed motorway police officials reached the scene soon after the accident, but the bus driver had already escaped. He said that the police had also approached the manager of the bus operator for legal action.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2014.