11 killed as high-tension wire sets Khairpur wedding bus on fire

DADU: At least 11 people returning from a wedding lost their lives on Sunday when their bus caught fire as it hit a low-hanging high-tension electricity wire near Khairpur.

Police and rescue officials said the bus carrying the newly-wed couple and relatives was returning from the wedding when the 11 kilovolt high-tension power line touched their vehicle in Nathan Shah area near Khairpur, setting off a blaze.

Several people were burnt alive as the bus burst into flames, police and rescue workers said.

“The bus immediately caught fire after an iron box on its roof hit the high-tension wire, killing 11 people and injuring 14 others,” said a senior local police official Irfan Baloch.

The dead included three children and four women, including the mother of the groom. The bride and groom, however, survived the blaze.

All the dead were close relatives and belonged to the same village.

At least 25 people were injured and were taken to nearby hospitals where doctors said some of the wounded were critical with 70 to 80 percent burns.

Speaking to Geo News, Sukkur Electric Supply Company (SEPCO) chief Farmanullah Pathan said that the high-tension wire was about 17 to 18 feet high at the location of the accident.

He said that a large trunk apparently containing dowry was loaded on the roof of the bus which came in contact with the low-hanging wire causing the blaze.

Farmanullah said that, as per safety standards, an 11kVa wire should at least be 25 feet above the ground.

When asked why the high-tension wire was hanging lower than safety standards, the SEPCO chief said the matter would be investigated.