11 killed, 33 injured as bus collides with truck on Depalpur Road near Pakpattan
File photo: an intercity passenger bus on the Grand Trunk Road in Punjab — not the bus involved in the crash.
PAKPATTAN: At least 11 people were killed and 33 injured on Thursday evening when a passenger bus travelling from Multan to Kasur collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction on Depalpur Road near Pakpattan. The impact was so severe that the bus overturned, trapping passengers inside its mangled frame.
Two-hour rescue operation
Rescue 1122 teams worked for nearly two hours to pull the trapped passengers out, cutting through the bus’s iron seats and other parts with cutting equipment. Nine emergency vehicles were sent to the scene. Eyewitnesses said the bus driver was speeding on the single-carriageway road, though officials have not yet confirmed the cause of the crash.
Policeman among the dead
A Rescue 1122 spokesperson said the dead included a patrolling police official and a member of the Para Force. All 11 people killed were men. Of the injured, eight suffered minor injuries while 25 were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Pakpattan. Two critically injured patients were referred to the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital.
Emergency declared in hospitals
Pakpattan Deputy Commissioner Asif Raza declared an emergency at all hospitals across the district and ordered doctors and paramedical staff, including those on leave, to report for duty immediately. District Police Officer Javed Chadhar reached the site and supervised the rescue work. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took notice of the incident, directed the deputy commissioner to personally oversee the rescue efforts and treatment, and expressed her condolences to the bereaved families.
