151 dead, over 140 injured as oil tanker explodes in Pak''s Punjab province

Lahore, June 25

At least 151 persons were charred to death and more than 140 others were injured after an oil tanker overturned and burst into flames as crowds rushed to collect petrol that spilled out on a highway in the Bahawalpur district of Pakistan’s Punjab Province on Sunday.

The oil tanker coming from Karachi to Lahore overturned early this morning on the national highway in the Ahmedpur Sharqia area of the district, some 400 km from Lahore, after its tyre burst.

The fire was apparently caused by someone who lit a cigarette after people from nearby localities gathered on the highway to collect spilt petrol, officials said.

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The blaze from the oil spill engulfed scores of residents, killing 151 persons and injuring more than 140 others.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Bahwalpur Rana Salim Afzal termed it a “huge tragedy” in the history of Pakistan.

“The condition of most of the injured is critical,” Afzal said, adding that some 50,000 litre petrol spilled from the oil tanker.

He said women and children are among the victims.

"Some 151 people including women and children lost their lives in this tragedy. The condition of more than 50 injured is critical and they are being shifted to Lahore and Faisalabad cities to save their lives," Rescue official Jam Sajjad told PTI, adding that the death toll could rise further.

He said most of the bodies are completely charred and they will be identified only by the DNA test.

Muhammad Hanif, 40, who suffered burns, told reporters at Victoria Hospital that he was present at his house when his cousin called him informing that the village people were rushing to the highway to collect “free oil”.

“My cousin told me to pick bottles and come out of the house. When I came out of the house, I saw many people rushing towards the highway and some going there by motorcycles. Me and my cousin Rashid reached the highway and joined the people busy in collecting the petrol spilling from the tanker.

“Suddenly, the tanker burst and the people gathered near it were burnt alive. Rashid and I were a little away from the tanker, therefore, we are alive,” Hanif said.

He said it was “greed” of the villagers which took them to the “valley of death”.

The Punjab government said three helicopters are shifting the critically burnt people to Multan’s combined military hospital and Nishter Hospital for providing better health facilities.

Regional Police Officer Bahawalpur Raja Rifat said the motorway police personnel had reached the spot when the oil tanker overturned.

“The people from nearby village Mauza Ramzan had also gathered there. The police personnel asked them to leave the place but they started collecting petrol. Suddenly, the tanker exploded and within seconds the fire erupted, giving no chance to the people present there to leave the place,” Rifat said.

Dozens of motorcycles and cars were also burnt at the site.

“Most people reached the site on motorcycles to collect spilling petrol,” he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif directed the authorities to ensure best medical treatment to the injured.

He also sent his chopper for shifting the injured to Multan hospitals.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, President Mamnoon Hussain, PTI chairman Imran Khan and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto condoled the tragedy.

Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa ordered the Army to assist the civil administration in the rescue effort.

Army helicopters have been deployed in the rescue operations.

The tragedy came a day ahead of Eid ul-Fitr celebrations in the country, marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramazan. PTI