At least 16 people have died as a result of a passenger bus catching fire near Jamshoro, Sindh. 12 of the deceased were children, while dozens others were left injured.
The unfortunate incident took place on Wednesday night. According to the police, the bus was traveling from Karachi to Khairpur Nathan Shah and the passengers were mostly flood-victims and internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had settled along the Super Highway near Khairpur Nathan Shah.
The cause of the fire is said to be faulty air conditioning on the bus, which caused a rapid fire to erupt, burning 50% of the bus to ashes. Some passengers attempted to jump out of the moving vehicle as the fire raged on.
There were a total of 35 passengers on the bus, out of which 16 —including 12 children— passed away. Dozens more were injured and have been shifted to Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro. The Sindh health department has arranged 30 beds at the Burns Ward in Karachi, and has stated that more can be arranged if needed.
Sindh Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon expressed deep regret over the unfortunate incident and loss of precious human lives. He said that once the investigation into the cause of the fire is complete, strict legal action will be taken against those found to be negligent.
