RAWALPINDI: A university student was burned to death while four others received severe injuries after a vehicle crashed into their car and burst into flames on Jhelum Road, opposite the Golf Club, on Tuesday, police said.

Police said the survivors are four students from Foundation University, one of whom, 21-year-old Hamza Arshad, was in the driving seat and was pulled out of the car by commuters who saw the burning vehicles.

The accident occurred when five students – Mohammad Amir, 20, Mr Arshad, Zubair Khalid, 20, Ashfaq Ahmed, 20, and Haider Ali, 24 – left their university during their lunch break to go to a food outlet in Jinnah Park. Hamza Arshad lost control of the steering while they were crossing the Golf Club and the car hit the pavement. At the same time, a Toyota Vigo crashed into the car from behind and both vehicles burst into flames.

Ali, 24, a BBA student, sustained 100pc burns and died on the spot. The surviving students sustained 20 to 25pc burns. Hospital authorities said Ali was unable to escape the vehicle because his left foot was disabled and he was wearing a seatbelt.

The burn victims were initially taken to the Holy Family Hospital before being shifted to the Kharian hospital. Ali was laid to rest in a local graveyard in Afshan Colony.

The driver of the Vigo fled the scene; however, Morgah station house officer Malik Kausar said that because the vehicle was an army vehicle, the army had been cooperating with the police in the investigation.

Mr Ahmed, one of the injured students, said: “I heard a bang before the car spun out of control and smashed into the footpath.” He sustained 20pc burns. He said Mr Arshad was driving and Mr Ali had been in the front passenger seat when the accident took place.

Commuters who were in the area when the accident took place rushed to help the victims trapped in their vehicle. Clouds of smoke from the burning vehicles could be seen from a distance, and the accident also caused a traffic jam on the road.

Irfan Riaz, the assistant sub-inspector who is leading the investigation into the accident, told Dawn that five university students were on their way to a food outlet during their lunch break when their car hit the pavement and another vehicle crashed into their car from behind. He said both vehicles burst into flames, but the driver of the vehicle which crashed into the students’ car managed to survive and flee the scene.

Traffic on Jhelum Road typically travels fast, due to the lack of road signs or traffic wardens alongside the road. Rescue 1122 has said the reason for traffic is speeding. The senior traffic officer was not available for comment.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2016