A school bus caught fire in Pakistan’s Gujarat city on Saturday, causing death of 16 school children and a teacher.

Islamabad, May 25/Nationalturk-  In a tragic incident, a school bus caught fire in Pakistan’s Gujarat city on Saturday, causing death of 16 school children and a teacher.

Police said van, which was carrying school children of Rajayki, Chak Khagha and Mangowal villages to Jinnah Public School in Gujarat, about 112 kilometres (70 miles) north of the eastern city on Lahore, caught fire this morning due to alleged short circuit next to a leaking petrol tank.

The van was carrying 24 children aged between 5 – 15 to a private school in Gujarat and was up in flames. There were hue and cries all over. “16 children and a female teacher were killed in the fire while seven other children were injured in the blaze,  which completely destroyed the vehicle,” a police officer said.

TV footage showed the bus was charred by the fire that spread rapidly.

Fire was caused by a spark

The police officer said the fire was apparently caused by a spark when driver of the dual-fuel van switched from gas to petrol. “The fuel gas cylinder was intact. We have registered a case and started investigations,” he said.

He said the death toll may go up as some children have sustained critical injuries. “Doctors have termed  condition of some of the injured as life threatening”.

Sources said driver of the vehicle fled from the spot after it caught fire. “Police have launched a massive manhunt to track him down,” they said.

They said bodies of some of the victims were unrecognisable and parents had demanded DNA testing to claim their children.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News

 

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