BAHAWALPUR: Seven people died while 46 suffered injuries in a collision between two buses at Basti Bhoori Shah on the Bahawalpur-Bahawalnagar road on Monday.

A bus was coming to Bahawalpur from Hasilpur while another bus of a renowned company was going in the opposite direction. When they reached near Adda Israni near Basti Bhoori Shah, the driver of one of them attempted to save a motorcyclist but lost control of his vehicle and rammed into the other bus coming from opposite direction. The motorcyclist, identified as ASI Shabbir Shah (50) of Lal Sohanra Police Station, was also killed.

The other deceased were identified as Fayyaz Khan (60) of Chishtian, Yahyah (65) of Khairpur Tamewali, Bilal (50)of Khichiwala, Bahawalnagar, Menga (56) of Khanda Mor, Muhammad Ashraf (64) and four-month-old Shahbaz. Twenty-six injured were shifted to the Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) while 14 injured were shifted to THQ Hospital Khairpur Tamewali. The condition of the some of the injured is stated to be critical. Six of the injured were given first-aid at the spot.

According to District Emergency Officer Baqir Hussain, seven ambulances, two rescue vehicles, a fire engine and 75 rescuers were dispatched to the site of the accident. The officials of the two nearby police stations of Khairpur Tamewali and Inayati also rushed to the scene for rescue operation.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2022