19 burnt alive in fiery M-4 crash

Nineteen people, including five women and children, tragically burned to death while 14 others sustained serious burns in a devastating accident on the M-4 near the Pindi Bhattian Motorway Interchange.

The accident occurred in the wee hours of Sunday when a Karachi-Islamabad bus collided with a pickup truck loaded with diesel.

Eyewitnesses reported that at 4:15am, the bus, numbered E-4750, was approaching the Pindi Bhattian Motorway Interchange when a sudden fire erupted inside the vehicle, which they believed was caused by a short circuit.

Unable to regain control of the vehicle, the driver crashed into the pickup truck, which also erupted in flames. The fire quickly engulfed both vehicles, resulting in devastating flames.

Emergency services, including motorway police and rescue teams, swiftly responded to the accident.

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Dr Athar Majeed, medical superintendent at THQ Pindi Bhattian, confirmed that the bodies of the 19 deceased individuals, including two from the pickup truck, were transferred to the hospital.

However, most of the injured passengers managed to escape the bus by breaking the window panes.

Initial reports suggested that 15 injured individuals were transported to the THQ Hospital Pindi Bhattian, with three of them later transferred to the Allied Hospital Faisalabad due to the severity of their injuries. However, one of the injured succumbed to wounds during treatment at the Allied Hospital.

In response to the incident, Caretaker Federal Minister Shahid Ashraf Tarar, IG Motorway Police Sultan Ali Khawaja, Hafizabad Deputy Commissioner Umar Farooq Warraich and Hafizabad District Police Officer Dr Fahad Ahmad visited the accident site and the THQ Hospital Pindi Bhattian to inquire after the condition of the injured and express their condolences to the families affected.

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During their visit, they directed the medical superintendent of THQ to ensure the injured received the best possible free-of-cost treatment. The officials also sympathised with the families of the deceased.

IG Motorway Police Khawaja took swift action and formed an inquiry committee to investigate the cause of the accident, with a report expected within 24 hours. In addition, two officials, including patrolling officer of M-4, were suspended due to their alleged negligence.

Preliminary investigations by the motorway police have indicated that negligence on part of the bus driver was the cause of the accident.

Authorities at the THQ Hospital and the police have yet to identify the bodies of the deceased and DNA tests will be conducted to determine their identities.

However, the 12 injured individuals admitted to THQ Hospital Pindi Bhattian have been identified. They include Umar and Aalia Umar from Faisalabad, Imdad from Khairpur, Sajid, Sabir, and Nazir from Karachi, Ubaira and Musfia from Jalalpur Bhattian, Usman and Gulzar from Multan, and Imtiaz and Zeeshan whose place of origin is unknown.

Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has expressed sorrow and grief over the loss of precious human lives due to a fire in a passenger coach near Pindi Bhattian.

Naqvi has expressed his heartfelt sympathies and condolences with the families of the deceased persons. He has sought a report from the administration and police on the incident and directed the administration to provide best treatment facilities to the injured persons. He stated that the Punjab government equally shared grief of the heirs of deceased persons.