At least 14 people, including three women and a child, were killed and 31 others injured when a bus of the University of Animal Sciences collided with a passenger van near Quli Faqir in Jhang on Wednesday.
The students were reportedly travelling to Faisalabad to participate in sports activities when the accident occurred. District Emergency Officer Muhammad Sultan said rescue teams quickly reached the site and shifted the deceased and injured to nearby hospitals.
Deputy Commissioner Jhang Ali Akbar and District Police Officer Bilal Iftikhar Kiani also visited the scene to oversee rescue operations.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and directed authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured. She also instructed the Deputy Commissioner to personally monitor treatment efforts and requested a detailed report on the accident.
The DHQ hospital administration released a preliminary list of the deceased, which included Sami Anjum, Ali Baloch, and Muhammad Rafiq Jan.
Among the injured were 60-year-old Safia BB, Mah Noor, Ayesha, Misbah Bibi, and 7-year-old Jantan Bibi. Other injured individuals include 23-year-old Junaid Islam, 42-year-old Muhammad Ashraf, 25-year-old Noman Zafar, 21-year-old Hasnain, 22-year-old Abdullah Muhammad Khan, 20-year-old Kashif Ahmed, 20-year-old Ghulam Murtaza, 18-year-old Saad Mustafa, 34-year-old Sinan Raza, and several others.
Seven critically injured patients, including three in the ICU, are undergoing treatment at DHQ Hospital, while the remaining injured have been shifted to Allied Hospital. Authorities are still identifying some of the victims.
The tragic accident has prompted calls for enhanced road safety measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
