Gas bowser catches fire at highway near RYK after accident

LAHORE/ZAHIR PIR: A gas bowser caught fire at the National Highway near Rahim Yar Khan disrupting traffic flow in the area, ARY News reported on Monday.

The motorway police diverted vehicular traffic to alternate routes after tyres of a gas bowser caught fire at the highway in an accident.

The spot of the incident was sealed and a special squad of the motorway police was deployed at the scene, sources said.

Earlier, a scribe from Zahir Pir in Rahim Yar Khan district had reported blaze in a gas tanker at the highway near Fatehpur.

According to report, two persons were killed in the mishap, while a rescue operation was underway.

The motorway police sealed the area of the accident.

It is to be mentioned here that in a deadly incident on June 25, 2017 at least 140 people were killed and more than 100 injured when an oil tanker overturned due to ‘over speeding’ on National Highway near Ahmedpur East in Bahawalpur.

Rescue officials said when the oil tanker overturned, leakage of oil started from the tanker and people of nearby localities started collecting oil from the tanker. Meanwhile, the tanker caught fire and exploded resulting into killings and injuries.

Reuters had put the death toll at 142 — and they were all those who had rushed to collect leaked fuel. They said the tanker carried up to 25,000 litres of oil which caused a large number of fatalities when it caught fire.

Many bodies were burned beyond recognition and television pictures showed piles of burnt out motorcycles, apparently those of people who were collecting fuel or watching events unfold.