ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: As many as 12 people, including 10 school-going children, were injured after a school van veered off the road and caught fire in Murree on Tuesday.

As per a statement from Murree police, the incident occurred near the Bara Hotar Link Road, where a Suzuki Bolan carrying school children veered off the road and caught fire.

“Upon receiving news of the incident, police and rescue teams immediately arrived at the scene,” it said, adding that the children were rescued and rushed to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.

According to an incident report issued by the THQ Hospital and a copy of which is available with Dawn, 12 individuals, including two adults and 10 children aged five to 14, were brought to the hospital, with 10 of them having burns of varying degrees.

Three students in critical condition, shifted to burn unit of Holy Family Hospital; Punjab CM seeks report of the incident

Three of the children suffered severe burn injuries, the report said.

Murree police said the cause of the incident had not yet been ascertained and that necessary legal action would be taken.

According to the statement, Murree District Police Officer Raza Tanveer Sipra visited the hospital to inquire after the injured children.

“We are maintaining constant contact to ensure the provision of the best possible medical care to the injured children and treatment for those who have been referred,” DPO Sipra was quoted as saying.

In an earlier statement, Rescue 1122 said that passengers, mostly schoolchildren, were safely evacuated from the vehicle and sustained only minor injuries. However, the vehicle was engulfed in flames.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz sought a report into the incident and took notice of the “vehicle overloading and lack of adequate fire safety measures”.

Meanwhile four children injured in the accident were brought to Holy Family Hospital where three of them were in critical condition and shifted to the burn centre. The administration has asked the hospital to provide all available facilities.

According to HFH data, Ayesha Kaleem, aged 14 years, suffered 45pc burns, Arham Ali, aged eight years, received 60pc burn injuries, Hassan Talib, aged eight years, suffered 28pc burns. Abdullah Kaleem, aged 11 years, suffered 5pc burn injuries.

Talking to Dawn, HFH Medical Superintendent Dr Ijaz Butt said three patients were in critical condition and had been shifted to the burn unit of the hospital.

One child was in stable condition and had been retained in the emergency ward.

Dr Butt said the doctors were monitoring the patients round the clock and striving hard to save the lives of the children.

On the other hand, Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Salman Ghani visited Holy Family Hospital to inquire after the children injured in the school van accident.

Dr Ijaz Butt and officials concerned accompanied him during the visit. The commissioner conducted a detailed inspection of the hospital’s Burn Ward and met the children injured in the Murree accident.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2026