Pakistan: 123 charred to death, 80 injured in oil tanker fire in Bahawalpur city
Eyewitnesses said some people in the vicinity were smoking cigarettes, which could have been one of the reasons for starting the inferno.
Over 123 people were charred to death when an oil tanker burst into flames in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, on Sunday.Around 80 others were injured and have been admitted to the Bahawal Victoria Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital Sharqia in critical condition. A majority of them are said have suffered 70 percent burn injuries, Geo TV quoted Rescue 1122 Director General Dr. Rizwan Naseer, as saying.The oil tanker toppled over in Pul Paka off the national highway. Dozens of vehicles, including 75 motorbikes and four cars, also caught fire.Eyewitnesses said some people in the vicinity were smoking cigarettes, which could have been one of the reasons for starting the inferno. Further details are awaited.
Serious burn victims, several in critical condition, were airlifted by helicopter to hospitals in Bahawalpur and nearby cities for treatment.
"According to the initial reports, somebody tried to light a cigarette, and when the spilt fuel caught fire, leading to the tanker's explosion," Jam Sajjad Hussain, spokesman for the rescue workers service said.
Firefighters fought the flames for over two hours before extinguishing the fire.
The prime minister's office said the Punjab provincial government had been directed to provide full medical assistance. "Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has expressed deep grief over the heavy loss of life in the unfortunate accident of oil tanker fire at Ahmad Pur Sharqia, Bahawalpur," the statement said.