DADU, March 14 Fourteen people were killed and 43 others injured when a truck collided with a van on the Indus Highway near Sehwan town on Sunday.

The truck carrying people of the Khoso tribe of Khanoth and Manjhand who were returning after pilgrimage to Pir Gaaji Shah collided with the Dadu-bound van coming from Hyderabad at a blind turn near Haji Pir Mard.

According to an eye-witness, the injured were pulled out of the vehicles by police and Edhi volunteers who reached the place an hour after the accident. Local people and civil society activists took part in rescue work.

Nasar Ahmed of Edhi Foundation said that a woman and a child were among the dead.

He said the injured were taken to the taluka hospital in Sehwan where there was only one doctor on duty.

Medical Superintendent Dr Moin Ahmed said the hospital had 32 beds but most of them were already occupied.

Medical officer Dr Ibrahim Lakhiar said that most of the deceased had head injuries. He said 10 of the critically injured had been shifted to LUMHS hospital in Jamshoro and civil hospital in Hyderabad.

Some of the injured were identified as Asif Hingoro, Mushtaq Ahmed Abro, Manzoor Chandio, Asad Shah, Ali Hassan, Naseem Khan, Hakim, Pervaiz, Mukhtiar, Hafiz Sadiq, Rab Dino, Zamiri, Basri, Irshadan, Nusrat, Hassena, Pir Khoso, Nadir Khoso, Ms Wali Khoso, Khairan, Ghulzar, Mujeeb, Pir Mohammad, Shafi Mohammad, Sahib Khan, Waheedan, Meeral Khoso, Naseem Ahmed, Kashif, Hindoro, Sanam, Mukhtiar and Piaro.

Our Hyderabad Bureau adds PPP's MNA from Jamshoro Nawab Abdul Ghani Talpur expressed grief over the tragedy and urged the prime minister to announce Rs500,000 compensation for the family of each of the deceased.

He said in a statement that authorities concerned had been repeatedly urged to widen the Indus highway to avert such accidents.