Fatal crossing: One killed, 27 injured in bus accident

IIUI transport department claims brake failure, police suspect reckless driving

ISLAMABAD: A motorcyclist was killed while 24 female students and three staff members were injured on Wednesday morning when a bus operated by International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) lost control and went flying through an intersection on Kashmir Highway.

The injured were shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), from where the students were discharged after received first aid.

Students suffered minor injuries, but a conductor fractured his left arm, said of Pims-Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Akram. The motorcyclist, identified as Alauddin, 60, was pronounced dead on arrival due to multiple injuries, he added.

The deceased used to work at a shop outside the district courts. His daughter and son-in-law collected the body from the hospital.

The president and rector of IIUI, along with other officials, visited the hospital to inquire about the injured and extend their support to the deceased’s family. They expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of life.

Accidental or reckless?

Safe City footage of the incident showed the bus careening along the curb of the highway before ramming into an island and jumping over it, before stopping halfway across a divider.

Varsity officials have blamed the accident on a sudden technical fault, while police suspected it was a case of negligence and reckless driving.

The university is investigating the causes of the accident, said IIUI Rector Dr Masoom Yasinzai, while adding that the varsity’s “Initial inquiry suggested that brake failure was the primary cause”.

As the brakes suddenly failed near a signal in G-11, the driver swerved to avoid hitting a check post and other vehicles on the road by moving onto the pavement, he added. Yasinzai concluded that videos which emerged showed the bus at great speed because the driver could not apply the brakes.

After talking to the students, IIUI transport supervisor Aurangzeb also concluded that the accident was caused by a technical fault.

But Ramna ASI Burhanuddin, who is investigating the incident, said that according to the motor vehicle examiner, the accident occurred due to speeding and negligence. An FIR has been registered against the driver.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2016.