Pakpattan bus accident: 11 dead, 33 hurt as Multan to Kasur bus hits truck on Depalpur Road

Eleven people were killed and 33 injured on Thursday 5 November when a passenger bus travelling from Multan to Kasur collided head-on with a truck on Depalpur Road near Pakpattan, Rescue 1122 and the district administration said, as Dawn reported.

What happened

The truck was coming from the opposite direction when the two vehicles met on Depalpur Road, according to a press release from the Pakpattan district administration. Passengers were trapped in the wreckage, and the rescue took about three hours, with cranes and other heavy machinery used to cut and lift people out.

Rescue 1122 said 25 of the injured were taken to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Pakpattan, while eight had minor injuries and were treated at the scene. ARY News also put the toll at 11 dead and 33 injured.

Emergency at DHQ Pakpattan

Deputy Commissioner Asif Raza and District Police Officer Javed Iqbal Chadhar reached the site to oversee the rescue. The deputy commissioner then declared an emergency at DHQ Hospital Pakpattan and called in extra doctors and staff, the administration said. Both officers later visited the hospital.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz sought a report on the crash and ordered the best possible treatment for the injured, her office said. President Asif Ali Zardari and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq offered condolences to the families.

The names of the dead had not been released by the administration when this was written. The cause of the collision has not been officially stated; the chief minister's report is expected to cover it.

If you are travelling or looking for someone

• Emergencies in Punjab: call 1122 (Rescue 1122), free from any phone.
• Families looking for passengers should contact DHQ Hospital Pakpattan, where the injured were taken, or the district administration's control room.
• Before a long bus journey, check that the company is registered with the provincial transport authority and avoid overnight trips on single-lane roads where you can.

For travel planning, see our fuel cost calculator if you are weighing up driving yourself, and today's petrol price.