The death toll from an oil tanker explosion in central Pakistan has
risen to 190, hospital and government officials said Friday as 16 more people
succumbed to their injuries.
The tanker overturned early Sunday on a main highway from Karachi to
Lahore while carrying some 40,000 litres of fuel.
It exploded minutes later as crowds from a nearby village gathered to
scavenge for fuel, despite warnings by the driver as well as motorway police to
stay away.
“The death toll from the tanker fire incident is now 190 after expiry
of more injured people,” Tahira Parveen, medical superintendent of Bahawalpur
Victoria hospital, told AFP.
A senior local administration official confirmed the toll.
Motorway police spokesman Imran Shah has said that a government inquiry
into the incident had found at least five police officials guilty of hiding
information.
The tragedy marked a grim start to Eid, the celebrations closing the
Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Pakistan has a poor record of fatal traffic accidents due to poor
roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.
AFP
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