10 tourists killed as van catches fire after crash on Murree Expressway

MURREE: At least 10 tourists were killed and several others injured after a passenger van crashed and caught fire near Khajut on the Islamabad-Murree Expressway, officials said on Wednesday.

According to Murree Deputy Commissioner Agha Zaheer Abbas Shirazi, the vehicle was carrying 23 members of the same family and was travelling from Multan to Murree when the accident occurred. He said the van was moving at high speed when it collided with a side wall on the expressway.

The impact reportedly caused a fire in the vehicle’s engine compartment, while the van’s sliding door became jammed, trapping passengers inside. Authorities said the situation worsened when the vehicle overturned onto the side where the door was located, preventing occupants from opening the exit and escaping the blaze.

A spokesperson for the Motorway Police said the van plunged into a ravine while negotiating a turn near Khajut. The victims included 10 children, according to officials.

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Rescue teams, Motorway Police personnel and officials from the Forest Department rushed to the scene and launched a rescue and relief operation. Bodies and injured passengers were shifted to nearby hospitals, while some of the injured were transported to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad for treatment.

A spokesperson for PIMS said 10 injured passengers had been brought to the hospital, adding that the condition of two of them was critical.

Rescue officials said all 23 passengers belonged to Multan and had departed for Murree at around 2am. Emergency operations continued at the site as authorities worked to recover victims and clear the area.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash and the subsequent fire.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed grief over the loss of lives and extended condolences to the bereaved families. She directed authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured and sought a detailed report on the incident.