Pakistan bus fire leaves 18 dead, several injured

Rescue workers examine the burnt bus in Pindi Bhattian. Pic/AP

A bus in Pakistan caught fire after hitting a van parked on the shoulder of an intercity highway in eastern Punjab province, killing at least 18 people and injuring 13 others, police and rescue officials said Sunday.

The accident occurred early Sunday near Pindi Bhattian, where the Islamabad-bound bus hit a van parked on the shoulder of the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway, senior police officer Fahad Ahmed said. The van was carrying fuel drums, which caused an inferno that engulfed the bus, Ahmed said.

There were more than 40 passengers on the bus, Ahmed said. Those who were rescued were badly burned, including several in critical condition. Other passengers were slightly injured with burns after escaping through the windows. The drivers of both vehicles died, police said.

Roadside bomb explosion kills 11 laborers

At least eleven laborers when a roadside bomb destroyed their vehicle in Pakistan's North Waziristan district near the border with Afghanistan, police said on Sunday. Police officer Ibrar Khan said the incident took place on Saturday night in the Gulmir Kot area. He said the explosion destroyed the vehicle that was carrying 16 laborers, killing 11 of them on the spot while two were taken to a hospital. No trace of the other three could be found and police believe they may have fled fearing further attack.

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