MURREE (Kashmir English): A private school van caught fire after plunging into a ravine at the Sain Road Misyari area in Murree, leaving 11 children on board with burn injuries.
According to the Murree District Police Officer (DPO), four children who sustained severe burns have been shifted to Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi, while seven others have been moved to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Murree.
Meanwhile, rescue teams and the police are engaged in joint relief operations. According to Murree DPO Raza Tanveer, the van was carrying students from two private schools.
Among the affected children, 8-year-old Arham (son of Ali Nawaz) suffered burns covering approximately 38 percent of his body, while 8-year-old Hassan Talib (son of Muhammad Talib) sustained severe injuries with burns covering about 26 percent of his body.
Similarly, Ayesha (daughter of Kaleem) has been critically affected, having sustained burns covering approximately 42 percent of her body. Police state that the remaining eight children are currently in stable condition; of these eight, two escaped without burns, while the other six sustained burns covering less than 10 percent of their bodies.
The fire that broke out in the vehicle has been brought under control during the rescue operation, and cooling procedures are currently underway at the accident site.
Later, speaking to the media at the DHQ Hospital in Murree, DPO Raza Tanveer stated that the school van unfortunately met with an accident, reportedly due to brake failure.
The van caught fire immediately after the crash, resulting in four children sustaining burns covering more than 25 percent of their bodies. He stated that the most severely affected children have been referred to a hospital in Rawalpindi.
There were 12 children on board the van, whom the driver had picked up from various areas. Initial first aid was administered to the children. Eight children who sustained minor burns are currently receiving treatment at DHQ Hospital, Murree.
He noted that a tragic incident involving a van fire had also occurred in Murree two months ago. Following this incident, vehicle fitness inspections will be extended to local roads. According to the DPO of Murree, the fitness of vehicles operating within rural areas will also be checked to prevent such incidents.
