In the aftermath of the deadly bus accident near Kallar Kahar, which claimed 13 lives and left more than 30 people injured, a criminal complaint has been filed against the bus driver and its owner, among others, it emerged on Sunday.

Yesterday, a bus veered off the Islamabad-Lahore Motorway into the opposite lane and overturned near Kallar Kahar.

The first information report (FIR), a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, was filed on Saturday evening by Motorway Police Officer Muhammad Bilal at the Kallar Kahar police station.

It names the bus driver, bus owner, manager of the Rawalpindi station (from where the bus departed), manager of the bus company’s station and the motor vehicle examiner as those who are responsible for the accident.

It invokes sections 322 (punishment for qatl-bis-sabab), 337G (punishment for hurt by rash or negligent driving), 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted committed In consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

In his complaint, the official stated he was performing his routine duty at N-225 when at around 3:14pm, he received an alert that a bus — with registered number BSG-055 and belonging to the Shalimar Transport Service — was met with an accident.

Upon reaching the location, he saw that the bus driver, Farhat Abbas Shah, had “lost control of the bus”, due to which it “broke the crash barrier” and overturned, the complainant added.

Bilal further said that a total of 13 people were killed in the accident, out of which five had died on the spot and were yet to be identified.

The FIR stated that 32 others were injured, who were then taken to the Kallar Kahar Trauma Centre via ambulances belonging to Rescue 1122, Hascol Petroleum and the Frontier Works Organisation.

The complainant went on to say that upon inquiring, the survivors alleged the bus was “not fully fit” when it was departing the Rawalpindi bus station.

The FIR quoted them as saying that they informed the driver; the bus owner; and the Rawalpindi station manager, about the vehicle’s “fault”. However, the men told the driver that the bus was fit to be driven, the FIR added.

Regardless, the complaint went on to state that the driver was also to be held responsible for the accident as the bus was not running in a fit condition even when on its way to Islamabad.

“This accident occurred due to the above-mentioned driver’s negligence, carelessness and speeding, as well as due to driving the vehicle at the behest of the bus owner and the station manager,” the FIR states.

Bilal also held the bus company’s officials responsible as they failed to conduct appropriate checks on the bus’ condition and let it function.

As the main manager of the Shalimar company’s main bus station at Jhang and the motor vehicle examiner are also involved in this incident, action should be taken against them as well, the complaint said.

According to the FIR, Arooj, Fatima, Rohan, Shayan, Hadia, Ameer Bibi, Maneesa Bibi and Imran are among the dead along with five others who are yet to be identified.

Motorway authorities should ensure safety, PM says

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was “deeply grieved by the loss of lives” in the accident and sent his sympathies and prayers to the bereaved families.

Noting that the frequent occurrence of accidents on the Salt Range was disturbing, he said, “Motorway authorities should ensure that vehicles plying on the motorway are fit for journey and that the drivers meet all driving standards.”

“A safe journey can only be ensured by following the rules and regulations strictly,” he added.

‘Brake failure’

A day ago, the police said the driver lost control over the steering due to a “brake failure”, with the result that it veered off the road and overturned on the opposite track.

The bus, which left Rawalpindi for Jhang, met with the accident when it was crossing the Salt Range, the police spokesman said.

Shortly after the accident, Deputy Inspector General (Motorway) Mohammad Yousaf Malik and Kallar Kahar police sector commander reached the spot as the rescue operation got underway.

According to police, a rescue operation was under way as the victims trapped in the wreckage were pulled out after cutting the bus and shifted to hospitals in Kallar Kahar and Rawalpindi.

Initially, all the victims and survivors were rushed to a Kallar Kahar hospital, from where eight of the injured were shifted to a Rawalpindi hospital.

Seven of the deceased hailed from Sahiwal and Jhang. A woman, her two sons and a daughter belonging to Sahiwal were also among the deceased.

According to police, eight of the victims have been identified so far, while the identity of the remaining victims is still being ascertained.

In February, at least 14 members of a wedding party, including women and children, were killed and 64 people were injured after a bus fell into a ravine and overturned near Kallar Kahar.

The bus had hit two other cars and a truck on the opposite track. According to police, the wedding party was going back to Lahore from Islamabad when their bus had veered off the road apparently due to a tyre burst.