Bahawalpur accident: Funeral prayers of victims offered

BAHAWALPUR: The funeral prayers of most of the deceased, who lost their lives in a worst road accident in Bahawalpur on Tuesday, have been offered in their respective areas Wednesday, Geo News reported.

The victims, including five members of the same family, belonged to Mubarakpur and the adjoining areas where grief has filled the air.

Twenty-six people, including women and children, were killed when a packed passenger van collided with a truck in Bahawalpur district on Tuesday. Sohail Tajik, District Police Officer of Bahawalpur, told the media that the accident took place at about noon when a 14-seat Hiace passenger van had a head-on collision with a truck on a highway in Bahawalpur.

Twenty-six people, including 11 women and two children, were confirmed dead in the accident, said the district police officer, adding that the accident was caused by overspeeding. A senior doctor at the Bahawal-Victoria Hospital, Muhammad Irshad Chaudhry, confirmed the casualties.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in the traffic accident. They directed the authorities to ensure the best treatment for the injured.