MUZAFFARGARH: The owners of a school and a van that transported its students were booked and arrested by Qureshi Chowk police following Thursday’s cylinder explosion in the van that claimed lives of two students.

The deceased students were buried late on Thursday night. The two students were killed and 10 others suffered injuries when the gas cylinder of their school van exploded. The van was also said to be overloaded with 30 children.

A police officer claimed that the explosion occurred when van driver Fareed Sohrani lit a cigarette, and the fire following the explosion engulfed the vehicle. The driver fled from the scene, while the second door of the van was also locked. Locals ran to the van when they spotted the flames and rescued the students.

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar took notice of the incident and sought a report within 24 hours. He claimed that those found responsible would be punished.

District Police Officer Faisal Shehzad had reached the spot and asked Qureshi Chowk Station House Officer Karam Dad to arrest the driver and school owner and register a case against them.

In the last six months, eight people were burnt alive in Head Mohammadwala when gas cylinders in vans exploded.

Around Qureshi Chowk, there were more than a dozen private schools affiliated with the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), but PEF officials neither checked vehicles transporting students nor the school buildings.

A PEF official claimed that schools were closed for three months’ summer vacation, and the foundation’s administration had also stopped funds to schools due to which teachers were protesting against them. This was why they did not undertake visits to check the buildings and implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The school van was carrying students back home when its gas cylinder exploded, killing Hamid and Zain on the spot, while 10 others, including Afia, Zareena, Abeera, Fatima, Uzair, Talha, Zain, Abdullah and Zainab, suffered burns.

Five of the injured were shifted to Nishtar Hospital in Multan after the DHQ hospital authorities referred them to it due to lack of a burns unit.

Deputy Commissioner Qaiser Saleem said he had asked his education officer to check the vehicles and ensure implementation of other SOPs at schools. He said an inquiry team was probing the matter.

Traffic Deputy Superintendent of Police Muhammad Zubair Bangash claimed that this month 119 vans and buses had been slapped with heavy fines.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2018