Brutal collision: 32 people burnt alive in coach-oil tanker crash

Bus collides with oil tanker near Jamshoro. Police, survivors allege the driver was sleepy.

HYDERABAD:

At least 32 people were killed in a brutal accident near Nooriabad on Sunday. Around 2:15 am, the al Madina coach, on its way to Sukkur from Karachi, rammed into an oil tanker on the Super Highway, causing both vehicles to catch fire.

Around 50 people were on the coach, out which 15 passengers leaped out in time as the bus flipped many times. During the last spin, the bus landed on the left side of the road and the entrance/exits of the coach were blocked.

As the fire spread, three more passengers broke windows and forced themselves out of the burning bus. The rest of the passengers did not have enough time to save themselves as the oil tank of the coach exploded, engulfing the vehicle in flames. The trapped 32 passengers, that included around a dozen women and four children, burned to death.

One fire brigade near the area reached the site but after some time, it was out of water and the vehicle returned for more. That is when law-enforcement agencies and civic-services personnel tried to extinguish the blaze with sand.

When they realised things were out of control, ambulances and fire brigades from Hyderabad and Karachi were called to the accident site. After a 40-minute battle, the fire on the coach was extinguished but the oil tanker was ablaze for almost two-and-a-half hours because saving lives in the coach was a priority. But later, five fire brigades put out the fire.

There was no machinery available to turn the bus over or quickly cut right through it to save the passengers trapped inside. One motorway police official heroically tried to cut through the burnt metal — the rear of the bus — with a metal shear to free as many as he could. Once they cut through, the rescue officials took the 33 bodies to Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro that is 17 kilometres from Nooriabad.

Three of the 18 survivors, who were severely injured, were taken to Yasin Medical Centre, around two kilometres away from Nooriabad, while the others were taken to Civil Hospital, Hyderabad.

Driver is to blame?

Most of the passengers were asleep when the accident occurred. The same is being said for the driver, who hailed from Ghotki. He is being blamed for falling asleep at the wheel. The coach had left Korangi 2½ in Karachi at 11 pm for Sukkur. The passengers said that the driver had led the bus into a manhole near Bilal Colony because he was sleepy.

They said he was warned a few times by the passengers to drive carefully.

However, the officials at the bus station in Sukkur — the destination of the al Madina coach — deny the allegations. They told Express News that the driver was experienced and he had taken his 12-hour rest before leaving for Sukkur. “The oil tanker must have suddenly come in front of him or the brakes must have failed,” he said.

Identification

The gravity of the incident can be gauged by the condition of the bodies — not a single one was identifiable. The bodies were taken to Edhi’s Sohrab Goth morgue for DNA testing, which experts believe will be a challenge. Most of the victims are believed to have come from Sukkur, Sakrand and Naushero Feroze.

Earlier, Civil Hospital, Hyderabad’s medico-legal officer Dr Yousuf Soomro informed that the hospital does not have DNA-testing facilities and there is not enough space in their morgue, so the bodies will be sent to Edhi’s Sohrab Goth morgue in Karachi.

According to Edhi spokesman Anwar Kazmi, 31 bodies reached Edhi’s Sohrab Goth morgue at 3:30 pm. “Collecting samples and performing the tests will take about eight to 10 hours and the results will be received in a week,” he explained. “Families of the victims have thronged the morgue.”

Two victims

Waheed Mithani could not believe his 18-year-old brother was no more. That is how Nadeem, one of the victims, was identified when Waheed reached the scene as soon he had heard the news. “We are orphans. I brought him here so I could take care of him. He was unwell so I told him to go back to the village and rest. I didn’t know that it would be the last time I would see him,” he cried.

The police also said they identified another victim, Muhammad Khoral Khan, as they found a document with his name on it.

What could have been done?

SSP Motorway Waliullah Dal said the police have repeatedly told authorities about having a fire brigade on the highway near the accident site. “Fires like these cannot be sometimes extinguished with water and carbon dioxide foam is needed. All kinds of fire brigades must be made available. If there was a well-equipped fire brigade available, these lives could have been saved.”

With additional reporting from Shahzad Tabani and Nadeem Khan

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th,  2011.