Road accident: 11 die as mini truck falls into canal

10 injured, 50 cattle killed .

MULTAN:

At least 11 people died on Sunday and 10 others were injured when a mini truck fell into the Taunsa link canal.

The injured were taken to tehsil headquarters hospital in Taunsa.

Some of them were later shifted to district headquarters hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan. The deceased include the truck driver.

Rescue officials said that the truck, carrying 21 people and 50 sheep and goats, was on its way to the Naari cattle market from Wahuwa in Taunsa.

They said the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle which hit a tree and then fell into the canal.

As many as 11 people died on the spot.

The bodies were recovered in a three-hour operation. The 10 injured were taken to tehsil headquarters hospital, of which five were later shifted to district headquarters hospital in critical condition.

Rescuers said the cattle had all died as well. They said so far 30 dead cattle had been pulled out from the canal.



Muhammad Ghaffar, one of the surviving passengers, told The Express Tribune that the cattle had taken the entire space in the truck. He said the passengers had sat on the roof.

He said some of the passengers jumped into the water as the truck fell into the canal.

Ahmed Ramazan, another survivor, said had the truck not been over loaded, the accident would not have happened.

“The truck had already seemed to be leaning towards one side, the side towards the canal,” he said.

The vehicle was pulled out from the canal using a crane. It has been impounded by the police.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2013.