WEB DESK
At least 141 people were burnt to death as an oil tanker caught fire after it overturned in Bahawalpur’s Ahmedpur Sharqia today morning.
Around 60 people were reported injured and taken to Hospital in critical condition. Rescue officials said, most of those taken to the hospitals got 70 per cent burn injuries, while more deaths are feared.
People in the area had gathered to collect fuel that was leaking from the oil tanker after it toppled over. Eyewitnesses said some people in the vicinity were smoking cigarettes, which could have ignited the the fire.
The tanker carrying 40,000 litres of fuel overturned after trying to make a sharp turn while travelling from Karachi to Lahore on the main highway.
Rescue sources said dozens of vehicles, including 75 motorbikes and four cars, were engulfed in the blaze that erupted in Pul Paka near the National Highway, an area located in the middle of the city.
Most of the affected people were residents of the locality near by. According to the sources, identities of the deceased cannot be ascertained without obtaining their DNA sample, as their bodies were badly burnt in the incident.