10 passengers burnt alive as bus cylinder explodes

ISLAMABAD - Ten people were burnt alive and five badly injured when a passenger bus caught fire due to fireworks laden beneath seats adjacent to back door, due to which one of the five gas cylinders exploded on Islamabad Express Highway on Tuesday. The tragic incident happened near Korang Town on Islamabad Express Highway in the area of Koral Police Station Islamabad, when the bus bearing registration number LES-8932 was on its way from Pirwadhai to Kallar Syedan. According to the injured conductor Muhammad Ali there were more than 20 passengers in the bus at the time of the explosion. However, out of 10 bodies in PIMS mortuary one passenger was identified as Karam Din resident of Kahuta, while the others were yet to be identified, police sources confirmed. Police sources stated that injured passengers were identified as Shani resident of Pakistan Town, Kaniz resident of Dhoke Kala Khan Rawalpindi, Mumtaz resident of Sahiwal, conductor Muhammad Ali resident of Kallar Syedan and Haroon resident of Kallar Syedan. PIMS hospital sources confirmed that four injured passengers were out of danger, however, a woman passenger identified as Kaniz was in critical condition. When contacted Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Amer Ali Ahmed said that about 10 passengers died and five got critically injured in the incident. Rescue personnel rushed to the spot and recovered bodies of 10 passengers and rescued five passengers, he said. The bodies of 10 passengers was moved to PIMS mortuary, while the critically injured passengers are under treatment in the emergency unit of PIMS, he added. Rescue 1122 and fire fighting unit personnel of Directorate of Municipal Administration reached promptly to the spot that rescued five injured and recovered the bodies, he further stated. The fire tenders effectively controlled the fire, he said. DC Islamabad stated that a help line 051-9261504 has been established at PIMS to facilitate the public. While talking to The Nation SSP Islamabad Tahir Alam Khan said that police including Bomb Disposal Squad are investigating into the matter. The autopsy of the bodies is underway. Police is recording the statements of the injured passengers and conductor. After all the legal formalities the case would be registered accordingly, he added. To a question, he said that all the dead and injured passengers have been recovered, however, the investigations are being done to fix whether some of passengers managed to move out safely. Upon condition of anonymity, a Bomb Disposal Squad personnel told this scribe there were some low intensity explosive material that caught fire and caused the incident. He further said that facts are yet to be determined and report in this regard would be would be submitted to the authority at the earliest. Eyewitness, Muhammad Azhar told this scribe that he was a few meters away from the bus when the blast happened. He saw flames that engulfed the whole bus. He witnessed few passengers who safely moved out from the bus. 'I saw the bus driver who jumped out from the vehicle and ran away from the spot, he said. The traffic was stuck for one hour,however, after the efforts of Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP), the other side of the road was opened for the traffic.