CHAKWAL: Four people were killed and 13 injured after a passenger bus fell off a bridge near the Dharabi village on Chakwal-Talagang Road on Saturday.

According to the police, the bus left the Talagang roundabout at 2pm for Faisalabad. The accident killed three people on the spot: the 55-year-old bus driver, 21-year-old Asma Mobeen and 40-year-old Khalida Parveen.

A Rescue 1122 official said 14 injured people and the three deceased victims were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Chakwal.

One injured person, identified as Shahid Mehmood, 38, was referred to Rawalpindi because he was in critical condition, a DHQ Hospital doctor told Dawn. Mehmood died on the way to Rawalpindi, he said.

The 13 injured are in stable condition, the doctor said.

According to investigating officer Husnain Shah said the accident occurred because the bus was speeding and was driven recklessly on a patch where it should have been driven cautiously.

He said the bus had space for 72 passengers, but only 17 – including the driver – were travelling at the time of the accident because the driver would pick up passengers from various stops on the route.

All the passengers were from Talagang and nearby areas.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2017