CHAKWAL, July 30: Five persons were killed, while another sustained serious injuries as their mini-truck hit a trailer, in a hilly terrain, off the Motorway, near Pir Khara Shrine, police said on Monday.

According to details, six persons, Arshad Mehmood, Javed, Akmal, Wasim, Mazhar and Atiqur Rahman, residents of Faisalabad were on their way to Faisalabad from Peshawar on a mini-truck (LES 9544), loaded with apricots. Arshad Mehmood was driving the truck.

While passing through a downward patch of the motorway, the breaks failed and the truck rammed into a trailer (TLP 525) from behind. The trailer was loaded with cement and was going to Lahore from Kallar Kahar.

As the truck smashed into the trailer, the truck overturned. The accident occurred at about at 12:00 am.

Soon after, Senior Superintendent (SP) of Motorway Police, Asim Gulzar and Deputy Superintendent of Motorway Police Chaudhry Israr Ahmad, along with a police contingent rushed to the scene.

The personnel of Motorway Police rushed the injured persons to District Headquarters Hospital Chakwal but Arshad Mehmood, Javed, Akmal, Mazhar and Wasim succumbed to injuries, before reaching the hospital. While conductor Atiqur Rahman survived.

The bodies of the victims were dispatched to their native city, Faisalabad.

“The accident occurred due to breaks failing”, Investigation Officer (IO) at Kallar Kahar Police Station, Muhammad Yar, told Dawn.

Quoting conductor Atiqur Rahman, the IO said that the driver Arshad Mehmood told the conductor that the breaks were not functioning and he tried to change the gear but it was too late.