Petrol can, smoking blamed for Murree school van fire
RAWALPINDI: A school van driver had placed a can of petrol under a seat and lit a cigarette while driving the vehicle when it suddenly caught fire in Murree on Tuesday, leaving 12 schoolchildren injured. One of the injured children died on Wednesday. Commercial vehicles in Punjab required a vehicle fitness certificate which the school van driver did not have. The vehicle fitness certificate is…
A school van collided with fire in Murree on Tuesday, injuring 12 children and resulting in the death of one, Ayesha Kaleem Abbasi, on Wednesday. The driver, Danish Abbasi, had placed a can of petrol under a seat and lit a cigarette while driving. Commercial vehicles in Punjab are required to have a valid fitness certificate, which the van lacked.
The vehicle fitness certificate is valid for six months and must be re-inspected twice a year. The incident was reported to Murree police by Sub-inspector Nasar Hayat at 10:30am. Rescue 1122 staff transported the injured to THQ Hospital Murree, while critically injured children were taken to the burn unit at Holy Family Hospital.
Three critically injured victims, including Arham Ali and Hassan Talib, are receiving treatment at HFH. Danish Abbasi, the van driver, sustained minor burns and was discharged from THQ Hospital after receiving first aid. A committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the fire, noting that police and regional transport authority often conduct checks on public service vehicle fitness, overloading, and traffic violations following such incidents.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
