Eleven killed and 33 injured as bus collides with truck on Depalpur Road near Pakpattan
A passenger bus travelling from Multan to Kasur collided with a truck near the 17 SP Stop, killing 11 people including rescue and highway patrol personnel, as an emergency was declared at Pakpattan's District Headquarters Hospital.
At least 11 people were killed and 33 others injured on Thursday when a passenger bus collided with a truck on Depalpur Road near Pakpattan in Punjab, in one of the deadliest road accidents in the province in recent weeks. Rescue officials said the dead included a Rescue 1122 official and personnel of the Punjab Highway Patrol and the Para Force, the provincial enforcement body.
The crash happened near the 17 SP Stop on Depalpur Road, a busy route linking the district with surrounding towns. According to Rescue 1122 and the district administration, the bus was travelling from Multan towards Kasur when it met a truck coming from the opposite direction. The impact was severe enough to leave the bus badly damaged, trapping passengers inside the wreckage.
Rescue teams reached the scene soon after the collision and launched an operation to pull trapped passengers from the bus, using heavy machinery and cranes to clear the wreckage. The injured and the bodies of those killed were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Pakpattan, where an emergency was declared so that doctors and medical staff could be called in at once.
Rescue 1122 said eight of the injured had minor injuries, while 25 others were shifted to the hospital for treatment. Several of the injured were described as being in a serious condition, raising fears that the death toll could rise. Hospital staff said additional doctors and paramedics were summoned to cope with the sudden influx of casualties.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed grief over the loss of life and sought a report on the accident from the district administration. She directed officials to ensure that the injured received the best possible medical care and that no effort was spared in their treatment. On her instructions, Pakpattan Deputy Commissioner Asif Raza reached the hospital to oversee the arrangements, while District Police Officer Javed Iqbal visited the accident site.
The exact cause of the collision has not yet been established. Police and the district administration have begun an inquiry into the circumstances, including the speed of the vehicles and the condition of the road at the point of impact. Officials said the findings would be shared once the initial investigation was complete.
The accident has again drawn attention to road safety on Punjab's inter-city routes, where heavy passenger and goods traffic shares narrow, two-way roads. Rescue 1122 data cited in local reporting showed that Punjab recorded 44,797 road accidents during October alone, resulting in 464 deaths and 23,543 serious injuries, a scale that safety campaigners say points to a deep and persistent problem.
Road accidents remain one of the leading causes of unnatural death in Pakistan, with speeding, overtaking on single carriageways, driver fatigue and poorly maintained vehicles among the factors most often blamed. Depalpur Road, like many district highways, carries a mix of buses, trucks, tractor-trolleys and motorcycles, and local residents have repeatedly called for better enforcement of speed limits and vehicle fitness checks.
For the families of the victims, the evening brought sudden and devastating news. Relatives gathered at the hospital in Pakpattan as the names of the dead and injured were confirmed, while officials worked to complete the legal formalities for handing over the bodies. The district administration said it would remain in contact with the families and provide whatever support was needed.
Authorities are expected to release further details, including the identities of the victims, as the rescue operation winds down and the investigation moves forward. For now, the focus remains on the injured still under treatment at the District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors say the next hours will be critical for several of them.
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