Seven people, including five children and two women, were killed when a Suzuki Bolan fell into a ravine and caught fire on Rakhyala Road in Murree, while seven injured passengers were taken to Rawalpindi for treatment.
MURREE: Seven people, including five children and two women, were killed and seven others injured when a Suzuki Bolan plunged into a deep ravine and caught fire on Rakhyala Road in Murree, police said.
The accident occurred near Broha Chowk, close to Tret police post, as a family was returning to its village in Tret after attending a wedding ceremony, according to a statement issued by the Murree City Traffic Police spokesperson.
The cause of the accident was not immediately known.
Rescue 1122 teams and personnel from other relevant departments rushed to the scene after receiving information about the incident and launched rescue and relief operations. Murree’s deputy superintendent of police (traffic) and traffic police personnel also reached the site to assist with the operation.
Seven injured taken to Rawalpindi hospital
The seven injured people were identified as Arshad, Nighat, Laiba Bibi, Kashan, Aima Noor, Tayyab Mahmood and Raima Noor.
They were shifted to Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi for medical treatment.
Murree District Police Officer and Chief Traffic Officer Munir Ahmed Hashmi expressed grief over the loss of life and directed the relevant police officials to provide full assistance with rescue operations and examine all aspects of the incident.
Maryam Nawaz expresses condolences
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed sorrow over the deaths and offered condolences to the bereaved families.
She prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and directed officials to ensure they received the best possible medical treatment.
The chief minister also instructed the deputy commissioner of Murree to monitor the rescue and relief operation.
Previous fire incidents in Murree
The latest accident comes less than a month after a school van caught fire in Murree on Sept. 29, leaving 10 children and the driver with burn injuries. Two siblings later died, according to the previously reported incident.
In another incident on June 10, a vehicle carrying tourists from Multan caught fire in the Khajut area of Murree, killing 10 people and seriously injuring 13 others.
The latest tragedy has again drawn attention to serious road accidents involving vehicles catching fire in the hill station. However, authorities have yet to establish the cause of the latest crash.
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