KARACHI – At least 15 people died when a van travelling in southern Pakistan crashed and caught fire, said officials today.
The vehicle was carrying passengers from here to Hyderabad when it struck an object and swerved off the road late yesterday.
“The death toll in the unfortunate accident has reached 15,” Owais Shah, transport minister of Sindh province, told AFP.
Five other people were injured, three of them critically, he said.
Most of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition, said Faisal Edhi, head of the non-profit Edhi Foundation that runs the morgue that the remains were taken to.
Investigators are looking to see if a natural gas cylinder aboard the van contributed to the inferno.
Such incidents occur frequently in Pakistan, where speeding, dilapidated vehicles and badly maintained roads all contribute to the accident rate. – AFP, September 27, 2020
