TOBA TEK SINGH: Four students and a rickshaw driver died and six others injured seriously when a bus hit a motorcycle-rickshaw near Gojra on Tuesday.

Rescue 1122 reported that a motorcycle-rickshaw carrying 10 students of various schools and colleges from Chak 302-JB, Noorpur, to Gojra, when a speeding bus going to Chishtian from Faisalabad hit it near Chak 299-GB.

According to witnesses the collision was so intense that the rickshaw hit trees by the roadside after being hit by the bus, resulting in instant death of driver Shahid Masih and three of the students -- Abdullah (11), Eishal Zahid (9) and Amna Asghar (18).

Seven other students who were injured in the accident were shifted to the Gojra Tehsil Headquarters Hospital where one of them, Ayesha Basharat (13) also succumbed to her injuries.

The doctors at the THQ hospital referred four of the injured students -- Eiman Fatima (16), Shahnza Asif (22), Amna Azmat (12) and Khadija Yousaf (20) -- to the Faisalabad’s Allied Hospital. Two of the injured students -- Ayesha Akhtar (17) and Sufian Zahid (8) were under treatment at the THQ hospital.

Gojra city police have registered a case under sections 322, 337-G and 279 of the PPC against unknown bus driver who fled away leaving the bus which was impounded by the police.

The bodies were later handed over to the bereaved families of the deceased students.

A large number of people attended the funeral prayers offered for the four deceased students at Chak 302-JB.

Deputy Commissioner Umer Javed and Gojra Assistant Commissioner Hassan Nazir also visited the village and offered condolences to the bereaved families.

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also condoled the deaths and directed the administrations of the Allied and Gojra THQ hospitals to provide the best possible treatment facilities to the injured students.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2021