KARAK: At least 12 passengers including four women were killed and six others injured when a gas cylinder explosion occurred inside a van on Indus Highway in Karak district on Sunday, DawnNews reported.

According to details shared by Karak DPO Muhammad Javed Khan, the passenger van heading towards Dera Ismail Khan from Peshawar suddenly caught fire after a huge cylinder blast on highway near Kanda Khurram area.

The injured were rushed to nearby hospital where they are being treated.

Initial details reveal that the van was carrying members of the same family who were going to attend a wedding.

The van caught fire following the explosion in gas cylinder due to which the passengers suffered massive burn injuries, which resulted in the death of some.

The road was blocked for all kinds of traffic due to incident for two hours.

Police personnel and rescue teams immediately reached the site of the incident. Rescue officials said that women and children were also among the dead.

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

In recent days, the country has witnessed a sharp rise in the number of such deadly accidents.