RAWALPINDI: A woman was killed and six others injured after an oil tanker crashed into seven vehicles in front of it due to a brake failure near the Lahore High Court building.

Police said the accident occurred around 10.55am. An oil tanker coming from Morgah carrying thousands of litres of fuel rammed into several vehicles moving ahead of it. When it crossed the first bridge, the tanker driver and conductor began shouting for people to clear the road because their vehicle’s brakes were not working, an eyewitness said.

He said among the injured were five lawyers heading toward the court. Victims trapped in their vehicles were extracted by rescuers, and police and ambulances that later arrived at the scene shifted them to hospitals.

Nazar Hussain, 40, said he was on his way to Kalar Syedan when he heard a bang and found himself trapped in his vehicle with multiple injuries.

Police said the driver and conductor fled the scene, and it took hours to remove the tanker using heavy cranes. The accident on the G.T. Road caused a traffic gridlock on either side, and queued vehicles could be seen from a distance.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2016