Mansoor Pirzada
GHOTKI/SUKKUR: A Karachi bound passenger coach overturned on the National Highway near Sangi on Sunday morning killing 39 passengers.
According to sources, the Karachi-bound passenger coach overturned when it tried to avoid an on coming trailer.
Polices sources add, that the passenger coach attempting to avert a head-on collision with a trailer coming from the opposite direction lost control and overturned, killing 39 including women and children.
The accident occurred due to reckless driving at a place where the road was under construction, an passenger injured in the accident complained.
The bodies and the injured were shifted to Panno Aaqil Taluka Hospital and CMH, where some of the injured are in critical condition.
Further our Bureau Chief and Sub Editor The Pioneer in Ghotki reports that At least 42 people killed and 17 sustained injuries in road accident while a coach collided with a trailer at Sangi area of Pano Aqil near Sukkur on Sunday night approximately at 3:00 AM.
Police sources told that the coach was on its way to Karachi from Dera Ghazi Khan carrying at least 60 passengers in it, the fast moving coach hit the trailer to the backside of trailer when it tried to overtake. The dead included 14 children, 13 women and six members of a family while two more family members wounded.
Fida Hussain Shah, SSP Sukkur confirmed the incident and said the bus driver killed on the spot and the driver of trailer sustained injuries.
Injured were shifted to CMH hospital Pano Aqil and Taluka hospital Pano Aqil, and the passengers in serious condition were shifted to Sukkur hospital for the treatment, while the dead bodies shifted to Taluka hospital Pano Aqil.
Doctors at Taluka hospital Pano Aqil faced difficulties in the treatment of patients due to power outage and non availability generator at the hospital.
Motorway police, rescue workers and nearby residents commenced the rescue operation immediately after the accident.
Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah has sought the report for DIG Sukkur Sharjeel Kharal and Commissioner Sukkur Abbas Balouch and directed to provide the relief to victims.
Most of victims belonged to Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahimyar Khan and Multan, deceased were identified as Irshad Ali, Muhammad Tahir, Muhammad Khalid, Hafeez Ahmed, Salman Ali, Ahsan, Mahboob, Arbab, Hassan, Sakeena, Fatima, Mariyam Raza, Madeeha, Shakeela, and Fozia.