10 killed in van-trailer collision in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Islamabad, April 15 (IANS) A collision between a passenger van and a trailer on Tuesday left 10 people dead and at least 10 others injured in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said.

According to police in the area, the accident occurred when an over-speeding trailer collided with the passenger van coming from the opposite direction on the Indus Highway in the Karak district of the province.

Police and rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital, where several injured people were in critical condition.

The deadly crash happened due to over-speeding and negligence of the driver of the trailer, said police, adding that an investigation has been launched into the accident.

Police said that the passenger van was completely destroyed in the crash due to the powerful impact of the collision, and the rescuers had to cut and open the vehicle to save the passengers who were trapped, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to Pakistani officials, road accidents frequently happen in the country owing to poor road infrastructure, badly maintained vehicles, and reckless driving.

On April 7, at least 11 people were killed and eight others injured in a road accident in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province.

The accident occurred in Jaranwala district of the province, where a speeding bus collided with a rickshaw, resulting in the loss of 11 lives, including women and children, according to the police in the area.

Six people lost their lives on the spot while five others succumbed to their injuries on the way to the hospital, the police said, adding that at least three among the injured are in critical condition.

According to the initial investigation launched by the police, the accident happened due to over-speeding and negligence on the part of the bus driver.

--IANS

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