CHAKWAL, Jan 22:  Three persons were killed and 16 other received serious injuries as a trailer hit Faisalabad-bound passenger bus in the Salt Range area of Kallar Kahar on Sunday.

According to details, the bus (ND 2449) of a private transport company was going to Faisalabad from Rawalpindi having 43 passengers on board. As it reached Sumbal Mor, a trailer (JT 2320) hit it from the back. Resultantly, the bus overturned while the collision killed all three persons in the trailer including its driver Asghar Ali, his brother Nazim Ali and Shahid Hussain at the spot. Asghar Ali and Nazim Ali belonged to Chak No 147 of Sahiwal district while Shahid Hussain hailed from a village of Rahimyar Khan.

According to Rescue 1122 officials, the accident took place at around 1:45pm. The personnel of Rescue 1122 and police rushed to the scene, immediately. The injured were shifted to Fauji Foundation Hospital, Kallar Kahar and the DHQ hospital Chakwal.

Two minor girls who were in critical condition were moved to Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi. The girls were identified as Eliza 3 and Zainab 4. Eliza had lost her arm while Zainab received serious head injuries, Dr Haleem at DHQ hospital told Dawn. He added that due to their critical condition, they were referred to BBH Rawalpindi. “There are three dead bodies while fourteen injured persons who are in stable condition”, he maintained.

The injured were identified as Mohammad Hanif, Anwar Ali, Abdul Manan, Niaz Ahmed, Manzoor, Mudassar, Imran, Nusrat, Shazia, Gulnaz, Shabana and Kaneez Fatima.

Talking to Dawn, Deputy Superintendent of Police Malik Allah Yar said that a case has been registered and investigation is underway. “The cause of accident would be known after investigation”, he said. However, according to eyewitnesses the brakes of the trailer failed after which it ran into the bus.—Nabeel Anwar Dhakku