Five people were killed and 25 were seriously injured as a high-speed passenger bus overturned near Nawan Kot in Layyah on Sunday, following which a case was registered against the highway road contractor as the accident occurred due to concrete being laid on the road.
According to a first information report (FIR), available with Dawn.com, five people, including the bus driver, died while 25 others were injured in the accident.
The bus had overturned in the Nawan Kot area, and a case was registered at the Chaubara police station.
The contractor was charged with blocking the road by piling gravel and not installing signboards, the FIR said. Consequently, a case was registered against the contractor of the under-construction road upon the complaint of Abid Hussain, who was the grandson of a deceased passenger.
A rescue official said that 25 members of the same family were injured when the passenger bus overturned, adding that the passenger bus was coming from the shrine Bibi Pak Daman Lahore to Karor Lal Eesan Tehsil Layyah, the statement added.
The deceased and the injured were moved to the Tehsil Hospital Fatehpur, while six critically injured passengers were moved to Nishtar Hospital Multan for treatment.
The Chobara police registered the case against the contractor under sections 322 (causing death by rash or negligent driving), 337-G (punishment for hurt by rash or negligent driving), 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 422 (dishonestly or fraudulently preventing debt being available for creditors) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Rescue officials said that there were 62 passengers inside the passenger bus while 20 were on the roof.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif shared her sorrow over the incident, directing Layyah Deputy Commissioner Amira Baidar to provide the best facilities to patients and excellent treatment.
DC visited the hospital and met the injured passengers.
