KHAIRPUR: At least 20 passengers including women and children were killed on Monday when a truck toppled over and shed its load of coal onto a coach on the Nat­ional Highway on Monday.

Police said that the accident occurred at around 6am.

The two vehicles were on their way to Sukkur when the coach driver attempted to overtake the truck but lost control and collided with it near Warid Gambhir village. As a result of the collision, the coach skidded off the road into the fields. The coal-laden truck also toppled onto the coach, leaving 20 passengers dead and seven others injured.

All the bodies and injured were moved to the civil hospital. Most of the deceased and injured belong to Khairpur district. One deceased, Khalil Ahmed Laghari, belonged to Daharki. A number of bodies were handed over to relatives whereas the injured passengers were under treatment at the civil hospital.

Sources said several passengers were fruit and vegetable vendors who used to go to Anaaj Mandi in Sukkur to get their supply to sell at their local villages.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2017