LAHORE: A rickshaw driver and his three minor sons were burnt alive while his wife and sister-in-law received severe burns when his three-wheeler caught fire after a truck hit it on the Amir Road in Shadbagh on Sunday.

Yaqoob of Joseph Colony was returning from a wedding ceremony along with his sons Farhan (8), Rehan (6) and Tausif (3), wife Saima and sister-in-law Sana when he met with the accident.

The police said Yaqoob and his sons got trapped in the rickshaw when the truck hit it from back. The gas cylinder installed in the front portion of the three-wheeler exploded and caught fire. As a result, all four of them got severe burns and died on the spot. Their charred bodies were recovered by the police and Rescue 1122 officials from the smashed rickshaw.

The police said Saima and Sana who also got severe burns and they were shifted to the Mayo Hospital. They are stated to be in serious condition.

The truck driver fled the scene, leaving his vehicle on the road. The police said a case would be lodged against him after getting application from the victims’ family.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2017