Seven people — of which six were students and one a rickshaw driver — were killed, and a student was critically wounded in Punjab's Bhakkar district on Saturday after the vehicle was hit by a speeding bus.

The driver of the bus — which belongs to a private transport company — managed to flee the crime scene as an enraged mob set the bus on fire.

As soon as news of the incident broke, the deputy commissioner, district police officer and Rescue 1122 personnel reached the site. The district administration banned the entry of all buses belonging to the transport company within the limits of District Bhakkar.

The incident occurred when seven students were returning home after appearing in ninth grade examinations at Multan's Government Girls High School. The rickshaw they had been travelling in was on Jhang road, near Jaise Wala area, when the speeding bus, enroute from Multan to Dera Ismail Khan, crashed into it.

The rickshaw was completely swallowed under the bus, and the six students, along with the rickshaw driver, died immediately. The deceased driver was identified as Mohammad Amjad and among the deceased girls, the identities of Sawera Shafiq, Iqra Rafiq, Maryam, Sanam Basheer, Sobia, and Sana Parveen were confirmed by their families.

One student, who was recovered by rescue officials after cutting away chunks of the bus, was found critically wounded and rushed to the district headquarters hospital.

The body of one of the deceased students was also taken to the hospital. The bodies of the remaining victims were taken away by their families from the site of the accident.

The news of the accident spread like wildfire after which MPA Imran Ayat Khan Shani, former senator Zafarullah Khan, District Council Chairman Ahmed Nawaz Khan Nawani, Deputy Commissioner Waqas Rasheed, Bhakkar District Police Officer Shahestar Nadeem, Bhakkar CEO Health Dr Parvez Kambo, CEO Education Mian Riaz Ahmed, Medical Superintendent DHQ Hospital Dr Hasan Awaz Faqeer Jumla all gathered at the hospital.

Meanwhile, an enraged mob, mostly comprising of area residents blocked the national highway. It was later opened to traffic after police dispersed the protesters.

They demanded that the district administration register a case against the transport company. Shopkeepers also participated in the demonstration and announced a shutterdown strike.

Thereafter, on the orders of the deputy commissioner, the secretary of the regional transport authority placed a ban on the transport company in question, restricting all its vehicles from entering within the limits of Bhakkar district. This was done in view of the fact other vehicles belonging to the same company had also been involved in accidents in the past which claimed the lives of dozens.

Later in the evening, multiple cases were registered on the complaint of the victims' families at the Sarai Mahajir police station against three accused: two transport company owners and the bus driver, under Sections 322 (punishment for qatl-bis-sabab), 337-G (punishment for hurt by rash or negligent driving), 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 109 (punishment for abetment), and 427 (mischief causing damage).

According to the contents of the first information reports registered, the bus driver was goaded by the transport owners to speed up and "purposely" ran over the rickshaw, as stated by two eye-witnesses to the incident.

The funeral prayers and burial of all the victims were held that same evening. They were all residents of Chak no. 57-58/ML, located in the suburbs of Bhakkar district.