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Oil Tanker Fire in Pakistan Leaves More Than 140 Dead Oil Tanker Fire in Pakistan Leaves More Than 140 Dead
(about 4 hours later)
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — At least 140 people were burned to death and 50 others were seriously injured on Sunday after an overturned oil tanker caught fire on a road in Pakistan as hundreds of people rushed to the tanker to collect fuel gushing onto the road, officials said. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — An oil tanker caught fire and exploded after overturning on a road in eastern Pakistan on Sunday, killing at least 140 people and seriously injuring at least 50 more after they rushed toward the vehicle in an effort to collect fuel as it gushed from the tanker.
The oil tanker overturned in Ahmedpur East, a small city in Punjab Province, as it was traveling from the southern port city of Karachi to Lahore, the capital of Punjab, officials said. The tanker was believed to be carrying 5,500 gallons of oil, the state-run news media reported. The authorities were investigating what caused the oil tanker to overturn and create an inferno, although one official suggested that it was probably caused by an engine spark.
It was not immediately clear if the tanker overturned because of speeding at a sharp turn or as a result of a burst tire. But soon afterward, people from the surrounding area — including women and children — scrambled to collect the spilled fuel. The tanker overturned in Ahmedpur East, a small city in Punjab Province, as it was traveling from the southern port city of Karachi to Lahore, the province’s capital. It was believed to be carrying 5,500 gallons of oil, officials and the state-run news media reported.
But the tanker turned into a giant inferno, most likely because of a spark, rescue workers said. The blaze left most of the bodies charred beyond recognition. At least 73 motorbikes and several cars were destroyed. Some news reports put the number of dead at 148. The blast occurred about 45 minutes after the tanker crashed, Reuters reported, and Pakistani television networks broadcast images of dozens of people collecting the fuel in bottles and buckets before the site turned into a giant fireball, and thick plumes of smoke enveloped the area after the explosion.
Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab, expressed a deep sense of sorrow and grief over the loss of life, said Salman Sufi, an aide. “We kept on telling people to leave the crash site, but people wouldn’t listen and more kept coming,” said Muhammad Rizwan, a police official. “We knew it was dangerous, and if there were more cars and bikes, the casualties would have been much higher.”
“The chief minister is monitoring the situation and has directed the authorities to provide the best medical facilities to the injured,” Mr. Sufi said. The explosion left most of the bodies charred beyond recognition, and the death toll could rise because dozens of victims are still in critical condition, The Associated Press reported, citing Dr. Mohammad Baqar, a senior rescue official in the area.
He added: “The fire was started most likely by an engine spark causing the fuel tanker to explode. The exact nature of the explosion is being investigated.” At least 73 motorbikes and several cars were also destroyed in the blast, which occurred the day before Pakistan celebrates Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday at the end of Ramadan.
Imran Khan, a former cricketer and an opposition politician, called the accident “a national tragedy of epic proportions.” The injured were taken to the district hospital and Victoria Hospital in neighboring Bahawalpur, but the response was hindered by a shortage of facilities to treat burn victims. Arrangements were being made to take the seriously injured to a hospital in Multan, about 80 miles to the north, which has a burn-treatment unit. The Pakistan Army said it had sent two helicopters to help with the rescue efforts.
The injured were taken to the district hospital and Victoria Hospital in neighboring Bahawalpur. But the local hospitals lack the facilities to treat burn victims, and arrangements were being made to take those seriously injured to a hospital in Multan, site of a burn-treatment unit. Poverty is endemic in parts of Pakistan — the World Bank calls the country one of the lowest performers in South Asia — and oil is a valuable resource for its people, who use it for heating and cooking.
The Pakistan Army said it had sent two helicopters to help with the rescue efforts. Abdul Rashid, 30, one of those injured, said he and his friend had joined in collecting the spilled fuel after passing by the area and seeing people trying to scoop it up from the overturned tanker.
“I parked my bike by the road and waited while my friend went to collect the fuel,” said Mr. Rashid, who had burns on his hand and a leg. “We did not have any bottles, so we asked people and got one. The bottle was small, so my friend went thrice to collect the fuel.”
He said he did know what had happened to his friend after the fire broke out.
There were no immediate information about why the tanker had overturned: speeding at a sharp turn, a burst tire or something else. .
A loudspeaker at a nearby mosque told villagers about the leaking fuel, prompting scores of people to rush to the site, said Rana Mohammad Salim, the deputy commissioner of Bahawalpur, according to The A.P.
Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab, expressed his grief over the loss of life, said an aide, Salman Sufi.
“The chief minister is monitoring the situation and has directed the authorities to provide the best medical facilities to the injured,” Mr. Sufi said. “The fire was started most likely by an engine spark causing fuel tanker to explode. The exact nature of the explosion is being investigated.”
Mr. Sufi said the driver of the tanker had escaped serious injury because the crash had taken place “long before” the explosion, and a provincial government spokesman said the driver had been taken into custody, Reuters reported.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was in London on a private visit, cut short his stay and was returning to Pakistan, officials said. Imran Khan, the country’s most prominent opposition politicians, called the accident “a national tragedy of epic proportions.”
“I have never seen anything like it in my life,” said Abdul Malik, a local police officer who was among the first to arrive, The A.P. reported. “Victims trapped in the fireball. They were screaming for help.”
When the fire subsided, he said, “We saw bodies everywhere, so many were just skeletons. “