GWADAR: Twenty-four victims of the tragic incident of bus fire which took place in the Bela area of Lasbela district on Monday were buried amid moving scenes in a mass grave in the presence of thousands of people in Panjgur town on Wednesday.

All the bodies were charred beyond recognition.

Emotional scenes were witnessed in the Tableeghi Markaz of Khuda-i-Abadan area of Panjgur where bodies of the victims were brought for funeral prayers in Edhi ambulances.

Gloomy atmosphere enveloped the district headquarters of Panjgur as all shops and business centres and bazaars remained closed and everybody was found moving towards Tableeghi Markaz to attend funeral.

Prominent religious scholar of Makran Mufti Mola Bakhsh led the funeral prayers. The funeral was attended by provincial minister Asadullah Baloch, Panjgur Deputy Commis­sioner Ahmed Rind and leaders of National Party, JUI-F and BNP-Awami besides a large number of people.

Many were seen profusely weeping at the burial as they were not able even to see faces of their loved ones.

The bodies were buried without DNA tests as family members refused to let the DNA tests be carried out by government officials concerned saying that the process would take a lot of time and the bodies were not in a condition to wait for DNA test results.

Some family members and relatives of the victims wanted to take bodies of their loved ones to their homes, but local Ulema did not allow them to do so as bodies were beyond recognition.

Committee formed

Meanwhile, the Balochistan government has formed an inquiry committee to probe the Bela bus fire incident.

According to Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove, the committee will be headed by Kalat Division’s Commissioner Hashim Khan Ghilzai and it will comprise Deputy Inspector General of Police Agha Yousaf, Deputy Commissioner of Lasbela Shabbir A. Mengal and SSP Agha Ramzan Ali.

Official sources said the inquiry committee would submit its report within seven days to Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani.

The report would explain how the fire erupted after the accident and how such gory incidents could be avoided in future.

“We will take all possible measures to make travelling on the Quetta-Karachi National Highway safe,” Mr Langove said, adding that the people found guilty would be brought to justice.

The government, he said, would not allow transporters to play with the lives of the people.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2019