2017 Bahawalpur explosion

On 25 June 2017, a tanker truck exploded near Ahmedpur East in Pakistan's Bahawalpur District, killing 219 people and injuring at least 34 others. The truck overturned when its driver attempted to make a sharp turn on the N-5 National Highway. Once the news of the accident spread to nearby villages, hundreds of residents rushed to the scene to loot the truck of its cargo. The truck then exploded; early reports suggested the explosion was caused by someone lighting a cigarette.

2017 Bahawalpur explosion
Ahmedpur East
Ahmedpur East (Punjab, Pakistan)
Ahmedpur East
Ahmedpur East (Pakistan)
Date25 June 2017
Time06:30 PKT (01:00 GMT)
LocationAhmedpur East, Punjab, Pakistan
Deaths219 (including the driver)
Non-fatal injuries34+

Accident

Around 06:00 local time (01:00 GMT), a tank truck carrying 50,000 litres of fuel overturned due to the driver sleeping on N-5 National Highway near Ahmedpur East, Bahawalpur District, in Punjab, Pakistan. The truck was travelling from Karachi to Vehari.[1][2][3]

News of the accident quickly spread to the nearby village of Ramzanpur Joya, with villagers being alerted via the loudspeaker on top of a local mosque.[4] A large number of people busy working in mango farms beside the road (one source estimated about 500[5]), including men, women, and children, subsequently gathered at the site to collect leaking petrol. The crowd ignored attempts by police to clear the area.[6] About 10 minutes later, the truck exploded after leaked fuel from its damaged container caught fire, killing at least 148 people.[4] Dozens of those injured died in the following days, bringing the death toll to 219 with 34 others still being treated in hospitals as of 11 July 2017.[7][8] According to some media reports, the explosion occurred about 45 minutes after the initial truck crash.[6][9]

There were conflicting preliminary reports about the cause of the explosion: some said the fuel was ignited by an attempt to light a cigarette near the overturned tanker,[6] and others blamed a spark from one of the numerous cars and motorcycles that rushed to the scene.[10]

Response

National Highways & Motorway Police suspended traffic and set up two diversions, near Noorpur Nauranga and further ahead of Dera Nawaz.[11] The Rescue 1122 and fire brigade arrived on the site of the incident immediately after the blaze started, and rescue operations were initiated. Firefighters fought the blaze for over two hours before extinguishing the fire.[12]

At least 90 of the victims were taken to District Headquarters Hospital and Bahawal Victoria Hospital in Bahawalpur. Pakistan Army helicopters were used to transfer 51 injured people from Bahawalpur to Nishtar Hospital in Multan.[10]

Aftermath

Most bodies were burned beyond recognition, many down to their skeletons.[5] At least six cars and twelve motorcycles were burned in the explosion.[10] The highway was littered with kitchen utensils, pots, water coolers, jerrycans and buckets which victims had brought to collect the petrol. The driver of the fuel tanker was kept under arrest for investigation,[13] but he was one of those in critical condition and later died at a hospital. Over 120 dead victims, who were beyond recognition, were buried in a mass grave.[14]

Reactions

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his grief and directed Punjab to provide "full medical assistance".[15] He cut short a private trip to London and returned to Pakistan in the aftermath of the explosion.[16]

The British High Commission in Pakistan,[17] the Embassy of the United States in Islamabad[18] and UNSG António Guterres[19] sent condolences.

References
  1. Zafar, Kashif (25 June 2017). "Over 125 killed, 200 injured in Bahawalpur oil tanker fire". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  2. "Pakistan oil tanker inferno kills at least 140". BBC News. 25 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  3. PTI (25 June 2017). "149 killed, 117 injured as oil tanker explodes in Pakistan". The Economic Times. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  4. Safi, Michael (25 June 2017). "Overturned oil tanker explodes in Pakistan, killing 148". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  5. Bacon, John. "'Trapped in the fireball': Overturned oil tanker explodes in Pakistan, killing 153". USA TODAY. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  6. "Burn victims overwhelm Pakistani hospitals after tanker fire kills 146". Reuters. 25 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  7. "Death toll in Pakistan tanker fire reaches 219". Business Standard. IANS. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  8. "Death toll rises to 218 in Pakistan oil tanker fire". India Gist. PTI. Archived from the original on 4 August 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  9. "Oil Tanker Fire in Pakistan Leaves More Than 140 Dead". The New York Times. 25 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  10. "Death toll from Bahawalpur oil tanker fire climbs to 153". Dawn. 25 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  11. Abbasi, Ameen (25 June 2017). "142 burnt to death as oil tanker catches fire in Bahawalpur". Geo TV. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  12. Osborne, Samuel (25 June 2017). "Pakistan oil tanker explosion victims engulfed in flames as they rushed to collect spilled fuel". The Independent. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  13. "At least 140 killed in tanker fire near Bahawalpur". Al Jazeera. 25 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  14. http://www.newspakistan.pk/2017/06/27/bahawalpur-oil-tanker-victims-buried-mass-grave/ News Pakistan. Retrieved 8 July 2017
  15. "Bahawalpur: Tragedy as nearly 150 burnt alive in oil tanker explosion". The News International. 25 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  16. "Nawaz confident of better ties with Afghanistan". Dawn. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  17. "132 burnt alive injured as oil tanker catches fire in Bahawalpur". Samaa TV. 25 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  18. Saifi, Sophie. "Pakistan oil tanker truck explosion kills at least 135". CNN. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  19. "UN chief saddened by oil tank explosion in Pakistan – Xinhua | English.news.cn". Xinhua News Agency.

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