RAHIM YAR KHAN: Thirteen passengers were killed and five others were injured when a sugar-laden truck fell over a coaster at Feroza Town of Liaquatpur tehsil, about 68 kilometres away from here, on Saturday evening.

A Rescue 1122 handout said efforts were in progress to save the passengers. The accident occurred owing to negligence and inappropriate arrangements to cover the manholes on Shahi Road and prolonged construction work in the main city area of Feroza.

On Saturday, heavy rain started in the evening and inundated the main Feroza bus stop. A coach was parked there to get the passengers on board and the driver of a truck loaded with sugar bags could not control the vehicle due to an open manhole and fell on the coaster.

A team of the Rescue 1122 reached the spot from Liaquatpur and Khanpur and they called the machinery from a nearby mill.

Rahim Yar Khan Deputy Commissioner Syed Musa Raza told Dawn that the rescue operation concluded after 7.30pm and 13 passengers died and five were injured. He said there was long delayed construction work on internal portion of Shahi Road which passes through Feroza and the sewerage lines issue also exists.

He said an inquiry would be initiated to ascertain the cause of the accident after the completion of rescue activities.

Rescue spokesperson Adnan Shabir told this correspondent that 13 dead bodies and five injured were shifted to Feroza Rural Health Centre.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2022