RAWALPINDI: Police have arrested the driver of a van that caught fire following a road accident on Islamabad-Murree Expressway. As many as 10 people were killed in the accident.

The driver, who was hiding in a nearby forest, will be produced in court on Saturday (today).

Mumtaz Ahmad, the driver, also sustained burn injuries to his hand.

The van veered off the road after the driver lost control while negotiating a sharp turn and caught fire after hitting a roadside wall. The wall prevented the passengers from disembarking the van.

A police official close to the investigation said rocks on the roadside damaged the van’s fuel tank. He said he was travelling on a motorcycle behind the wagon and stopped after seeing the accident. He said he smashed the rear windowpane of the vehicle and pulled out at least 14 people.

“It was horrific accident which I will never forget as a helpless mother was watching her children burn alive - one in her lap,” said the police official. He said 10 people, including five children, lost their lives and 16 others, seven children among them, were injured in the accident.

The driver in his preliminary statement told the police that due to speeding, he could not control the vehicle while negotiating a sharp turn.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2026