Death toll from Kohat bus-tanker collision soars to 23

KOHAT: The death toll from Saturday’s head-on collision between a Karachi-bound bus and an oil-tanker on the Indus Highway near Lachi has soared to 23, ARY News reported.  

Official sources said at least 23 people were killed in the horrific accident while 35 others injured.

A bus (PA-3861) carrying passengers, which was travelling from Buner to Karachi, collided with an oncoming oil-tanker (PLZ-170) on the Indus Highway.

After being informed of the accident, the police and officials of the Rescue 1122 rushed to the spot and shifted the deceased and injured to the Liaqat Memorial Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital in Kohat.

The rescue workers used cutters to recover the bodies and injured from the crushed bus.

Following the accident, a state of emergency was declared at the hospitals in Kohat.

Police said the tanker was carrying oil when it collided with the bus but the cargo did not catch fire, and are investigating what caused the accident.

Pakistan has one of the world’s worst records for fatal traffic accidents, blamed on poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.