July 09, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 23, 1428

SWABI, July 8: Two people were killed and 40 injured when a vehicle overturned on the Swabi-Topi road on Sunday. It was carrying people returning from a wedding from the Tarbela Right Bank Colony to Kernel Sher Kili.

The hospital staff said that five of the injured were in serious condition and they had been shifted to hospitals in Peshawar. “Two of them are extremely serious,” said a doctor.

The accident occurred at about 5:30pm and peasants working in nearby fields pulled out the bodies and arranged vehicles for the injured to be taken to the district headquarters hospital.

Most of the injured were women and children.

People blamed the driver, who also was killed, for the accident and said that the coach was moving at high speed. They said the driver, who appeared to be unfamiliar with the road, lost control of the vehicle when it hit a ditch. They said the vehicle jumped into the air before overturning.

Both the bride and the bridegroom escaped unhurt as they were not riding in the vehicle.

“I was thrown out of the coaster when the accident occurred. When I regained my senses, I saw bodies covered in blood and scattered on the ground.

Injured people were screaming for help.

“I lost consciousness when I saw bodies of children soaked in blood,” said an injured person.

One of the deceased was identified as Fathi Mohammad of the Kernel Sher Kili but the name of the driver, who was also killed in the accident, could not be ascertained. His body was immediately sent to his home town.

The hospital staff were overwhelmed and failed to cope with the situation.

A case has been registered by police who also seized the vehicle.