At least 13 people were killed and more than 20 injured due to a traffic accident near Rukanpur on the Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M-5) on Friday night, according to an official.

The tragedy occurred as a speeding jeep rammed into two other vehicles on the highway near Rahim Yar Khan.

District Police Officer Rizwan Umar Gondal told Dawn.com that at least 13 people lost their lives while 14 of the injured were in critical condition and being treated at Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan.

He said that a van overturned on the highway after one of its tyres burst.

“Witnessing a stranded vehicle on the motorway, a bus coming from behind stopped while its passengers disembarked from the vehicle to help other fellow passengers.”

As the bus travellers were assisting the van passengers, a speeding jeep smashed into the bus, resulting in the deaths and injuries.

The official said the police were investigating the causes of the accident.

Last year in August, at least 20 people were killed and six injured when a passenger bus collided with an oil tanker on M-5 Motorway.

Multan Deputy Commissioner Tahir Wattoo had confirmed the incident in a statement, saying that the passenger bus, which was travelling from Lahore to Karachi, hit the oil tanker from the rear side at Jalalpur Peerwala interchange on the motorway.

The then Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi had sought a report on the incident from the Multan commissioner.

A statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office had quoted him as saying that all aspects of the incident should be investigated and those responsible be identified.