At least 148 people were burnt to death and over 100 others were injured when an oil tanker caught fire after overturning in the Ahmed Pur Sharqia city of Bahawalpur district in Punjab in Pakistan on Sunday (June 25) morning.
The oil tanker exploded after a fuel leak from its damaged container caught fire in the Pul Paka area located near the national highway. The injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. Several vehicles, including eight cars and 30 motorbikes, were engulfed in the fire, the Associated Press quoted eyewitnesses as saying.
Firefighters arrived at the scene soon after the fire broke out and were able to douse the flames. Rescue operations were launched soon after the fire was brought under control. Local residents were collecting fuel, which was leaking from the oil tanker, when the incident happened.
Local media reports suggest that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has ordered government officials to file a report on the incident. Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has also ordered the Pakistan Army to assist the civil administration in the rescue operation. Army helicopters have also been sent to the scene to take the injured to nearby hospitals.
Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Gharoor expressed grief over the incident on Twitter: "COAS expresses grief on losses in oil tanker incident. Directed provision of full assistance to civil admn in rescue/relief effort. Army Aviation helicopters sent for evacuation of casualties to hospitals / burn centres. Hospitals placed on high alert."
Rizwan Naseer, director of Punjab provincial rescue services, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that rescuers are attempting to recover the bodies of the deceased. Several bodies have been burnt beyond recognition.
The Prime Minister's Office in Pakistan released a statement saying that the Punjab provincial government had been asked to provide full medical assistance to the injured. "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 read.
