At least 62 people onboard a Shikarpur-bound coach were killed when it collided with an oil tanker Saturday night. The driver of the tanker recently confessed to driving in the wrong direction. PHOTO: FILE
The driver of the tanker that crashed into an inter-city bus on the Kathore Link Road near Super Highway late Saturday night has been remanded to police custody till January 19, after he surrendered to the authorities on Wednesday.
Investigations SP Malik Altaf, before whom the driver surrendered, told The Express Tribune that driver Muhammad Hanif’s confessional account can only be verified after the police finish their investigation. “There are a lot of questions still left unanswered about the devastating incident,” said SP Altaf. “The police intend to rely on their own investigations instead of the driver’s confession that carries many loopholes.”
As many as 62 people were killed when the tanker coming down the wrong side on the one-way link road slammed into the passenger bus, reportedly causing its gas cylinders to explode and setting the bus on fire.
Four days after the tragic accident, Hanif recounted in his confession on television that he was returning to Karachi with an empty tanker after delivering a ghee shipment in Sukkur, when the incident took the place.
When he saw the Shikarpur-bound passenger bus approaching, he applied the brakes to his vehicle, which was travelling on no more than 40 kilometres per hour. The brakes caused one of the already battered tyres to burst, he claimed.
“I did apply the brakes but could not control the vehicle from careening into the way of the incoming bus,” said Hanif. “Resultantly, the bus crashed right into the middle of the tanker where its fuel tank was located.”
Soon after the collision, added the driver, the bus quickly filled up with smoke that clouded his vision of what was going on inside and then burst into flames. “I watched helplessly, unable to do anything as the flames engulfed the bus within minutes,” he said. “The bus’ hydraulic doors were locked, making it impossible to rescue anyone trapped inside; however, those sitting on the roof of the bus managed to save their lives by jumping off to the ground.”
The driver added that he lingered around the crash site for nearly 10 minutes before fleeing out of the fear of being lynched by the crowd that had gathered by then. “But I could not sleep for the past three days because I felt guilty and ashamed. The twinges of conscience and constant nagging by my family had forced me to surrender.”
Court takes notice
The Sindh High Court has directed the provincial government to ensure that DNA tests are expeditiously carried out to identify the victims killed in the accident.
Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar, who was hearing an application for a judicial probe into the accident, also issued notices to the home secretary, the Regional Transport Authority secretary, Sindh IGP, Traffic DIG, National Highway Authority director-general and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation administrator to submit detailed and comprehensive reports on the accident.
The Justice Helpline, a non-governmental organisation, had blamed the accident on the negligence of the driver of the tanker and lack of safety measures. The tanker is owned by the National Logistics Cell, it added.
On Wednesday, the bench issued notices to the federal, provincial and local authorities to submit their reports, explaining the causes that led to the massive loss of lives and suggest measures to tackle the same in future.
The court also directed the chief secretary to ensure that samples for the DNA tests were obtained and sent to the relevant testing labs in Islamabad as early as possible, and to pursue the matter rapidly so that the reports may be obtained at the earliest.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 16th, 2015.
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