The driver was burned to death, while the helper sustained injuries after an oil tanker plunged into a ravine and caught fire near the Kaak bridge on Sunday, witnesses and rescuers said.
The incident took place in the jurisdiction of Humak Police Station. Rescue 1122 fire tenders managed to control the blaze.
According to authorities, the oil tanker was passing through the loop at the Kaak Pul when it suddenly malfunctioned and veered off the road, falling into a deep ditch. Upon impact, the tanker caught fire, and thick smoke was visible from a distance.
The driver, identified as Amjad, tried to save himself by jumping out but got trapped inside the tanker and was burned to death. His helper, Hasnain Raza, managed to jump out and survive with injuries.
Humak SHO Muhammad Imran said that the accident appeared to have been caused by a broken tie rod, but the exact cause would be confirmed after a detailed investigation.
A video of the incident, which went viral on social media, captured an eyewitness saying he was sitting by the roadside when he heard a loud explosion, likely caused by a tire burst. He then saw the tanker wobbling before it fell into the ravine and caught fire.
Rescue 1122 teams from Rawalpindi arrived at the scene and successfully extinguished the flames, but the tanker was completely destroyed in the blaze.
In a separate incident, a truck and a car collided near Messa Kaswal on GT Road in Gujar Khan, injuring four people.
The injured were identified as 28-year-old Ehsaan, 30-year-old Shehbaz Asghar, 25-year-old Asad Asghar, and 16-year-old Kashif. Rescue 1122 provided the victims with first aid and later shifted them to a hospital.
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