Daily Times

BAHAWALPUR: The National Highway and Motorway Police has suspended six of its officials following a government inquiry into the Ahmedpur East incident that found them guilty of hiding information.

The development comes as the death toll in the tragic incident rose to 190 on Thursday. Moreover, 153 of the deceased were laid to rest after their collective funeral prayers amid grief in the area. The deceased included the driver who warned people scooping up spilled fuel to stay away but was ignored.

As the funeral prayers of the victims of the oil tanker tragedy were offered, every eye in the area was teary. High-level security arrangements were also observed on the occasion, as the people attended the funerals in large numbers.

According to a motorway police spokesman, DSP Rizwan Shah, Inspector Abdul Samad, Sub-inspector Wajid Ali, Taqi Haider, Irfan Shah and junior patrol officer Omar Hussain Shah had been suspended following the initial inquiry. He said that the inquiry officer had recommended a major punishment for the negligent officials.

Talking to a foreign news agency, Bahawalpur police chief Akhar Abbas said, “These officials have been suspended with immediate effect as the inquiry continues.”

Meanwhile, the administration has started removing the debris of the motorbikes, cars and rickshaws from the road and one side of the highway has been opened for traffic.

On the other hand, samples of 125 bodies have been sent for DNA tests whereas more than 80 percent of the people admitted to hospitals were badly scorched.

It is pertinent to mention here that the tragedy had taken place when the tanker overturned early Sunday on a main highway from Karachi to Lahore while carrying some 40,000 litres of fuel. It exploded minutes later as crowds from a nearby village gathered to scavenge for fuel, despite admonitions by the driver as well as motorway police to stay away. Akhar Abbas said the tanker driver, Khiyam Muhammad, who sustained burns, also died of his wounds in nearby Multan city on Wednesday. Pakistan has a poor record of fatal traffic accidents due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

Published in Daily Times, June 30th, 2017.