26 killed in Bahawalpur road accident
31 October, 2012
BAHAWALPUR: At least 26 people were killed, including women and children, when a packed passenger van collided with a truck in Bahawalpur district on Tuesday. Bahawalpur District Police Officer Sohail Tajik told media the accident took place around noon when a 14-seater passenger van collided head-on with a truck on a highway near Rama Phatak in Bahawalpur. So far, 26 people, including 11 women and two children, have been confirmed dead in the accident, the DPO said, adding the accident was caused due to over-speeding. A senior doctor at Bahawal-Victoria Hospital, Muhammad Irshad Chaudhry, confirmed the casualties. According to APP, 13 people were injured in the accident, with most of them being in critical condition. Meanwhile, AFP quoted a local police official Irshad Haider Bukhari as saying, "A van carrying 22 passengers on board collided head on with (a pick-up truck) with 15 people on board while negotiating a blind turn, killing 21 people." Pakistan has one of the world's worst records for fatal traffic accidents, blamed on poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving. Tuesday marked the end of a four-day national holiday in Pakistan. Many people returned to work after spending the Eidul Azha holidays in their hometown. End.
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