HARIPUR, Feb 24: Seven people, including three women, were killed and eight others injured when a passenger van collided head-on with an oil tanker near Chamba bridge on GT road, 12km off here on Saturday.

Bound for Haripur, the van (a Toyota Hiace) was coming from Islamabad, said Kot Najibullah police.

The accident occurred when the driver of the van lost control of the vehicle in a bid to save a woman who was crossing the road, witnesses said.

According to police, three women and the van driver died on the spot. Nine injured passengers were taken to Haripur’s District Headquarters Hospital, from where six were shifted to Ayub Medical Complex Abbottabad in critical condition. One of the injured succumbed on way to Abbottabad.

Those killed were identified as van driver Khaliqdad from village Namli Maira Abbottabad, passer-by Surayya Bibi from village Chamba Pind, Fazal Noor Bibi from Dhok Khaba Rawalpindi, Mohammed Ayub from Bara Hotar Abbottabad, Mohammed Liaqat from Khayaban-i-Sir Syed Rawalpindi, Shahid from Rawalpindi and an unidentified woman.

Among the injured are Zafar Iqbal, Imtiaz Ali Shah, Arshad Murad, Afzal Ahmed and three children.