Traffic Accident in Pakistan Claims at Least 57 Lives

In the early hours of Sunday, January 21, at least 57 people, including women and children, lost their lives following a collision between a bus and a fuel tanker, which resulted in an explosion and fire. Dr. Sami Jamali, at Jinnah Hospital in Karachi, told AFP that they have received 57 bodies so far, but the death toll may rise as some of the victims were completely burned and their bodies were fused together. Dr. Jamali stated that at least six bodies of children, likely attached to their mothers' bodies, have been identified. Medical officials said the only way to identify the victims is through DNA testing. The bus was transporting passengers from Shikarpur to Karachi and collided with the oil tanker on the Super Highway Link Road. Authorities reported that both vehicles caught fire immediately after the collision, and those who were sitting on the roof of the bus jumped down to save themselves. One survivor told AFP that the bus was overloaded, a common practice in countries like Pakistan or India. The Dawn news network in Pakistan reports that since 2011, nearly 9,000 traffic accidents occur each year, resulting in an average of at least 4,500 deaths. Last November, at least 56 people were killed and several injured in a collision between a truck and a bus in southern Pakistan.