MULTAN, Nov 18: Six people were electrocuted and 12 sustained critical burns when the radio antenna of a bus they were travelling in accidentally touched an 11-KV electricity transmission line in Rajanpur village on Monday.

The bus had the misfortune in Mehreywala village near Fazilpur, some 200km from here, where hundreds of people had gathered to attend the Seraiki Mela organized every year by a renowned poet, Ashiq Bozdar.

After an all-night poetry and music session, the people had started returning to the homes when a bus (SGD-566) carrying scores of people developed some mechanical problem and stopped suddenly.

When the drive, Aqeel, could not get the bus started he asked some passengers to push.

Yasin Dreshak, Chand, Yasin, Iqbal and Naseer started pushing the bus when reportedly its tall radio antenna touched the 11kv power supply line causing high-powered electric current run through the bus.

The driver and the five passengers who were pushing the bus died on the spot.

Nine of the 12 injured are being treated for electric shock and burns at Fazilpur Rural Health Centre and Rajanpur District Headquarters Hospital.