GUJAR KHAN, Dec 27: Three persons were killed and 15 injured after a bus fell from a bridge and was subsequently hit by a train near Gujar Khan city in the early hours of Saturday.

According to police sources, a Mardan-bound bus coming from Lahore skidded off the railway bridge near Gujar Khan at about 3:30am. One of the passengers told the police that the bus remained hung over the edge of the bridge and all passengers managed to alight from the vehicle. However, the conductor and helper remained in the bus and were trying to rescue the driver when the train, passing underneath the bridge, hit it.

During the accident, the fireman, Tanvir Hussain, who was in the locomotive, was seriously injured. However, the passengers in the train remained unhurt, station master Naseer Gondal told this correspondent.

ASP Gujar Khan Mubarak Zeb reached the spot and supervised the rescue operation. Later, divisional superintendent Railways Ishfaq Khattak, divisional transportation officer and other highups of the railways department reached the spot and arranged buses for the train passengers for their onward journey, Mr Gondal said.

According to ASP Gujar Khan, the bus was being driven by the conductor Abdul Khalid while the actual driver Mohibullah was sleeping at the back seat.

When the bus skidded off the road, 20 passengers were onboard.

Gujar Khan police have registered the case and the injured were provided treatment at the THQ Hospital Gujar Khan. However, the seriously injured were shifted to Rawalpindi.