Metro53 - ISLAMABAD: At least 10 tourists were killed and 13 others injured after a passenger van carrying a family from Multan crashed and caught fire on the Murree Expressway near Khajut on Wednesday, officials said.
According to the deputy commissioner of Murree, the accident occurred when the vehicle, reportedly travelling at high speed, collided with a roadside barrier wall. The impact triggered a fire in the van’s engine compartment, while the vehicle’s sliding door became locked, trapping several passengers inside.
Rescue officials said the blaze rapidly engulfed the vehicle, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries. The victims were members of the same family who were travelling from Multan to Murree for a leisure trip.
The deceased and injured were shifted to nearby hospitals, while some of the critically injured were transferred to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad for treatment.
Officials said personnel from Rescue 1122, the motorway police, and the forest department responded to the scene and took part in rescue and recovery operations.
A spokesperson for the motorway police confirmed that all passengers involved in the incident belonged to a single family. Authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The incident has raised fresh concerns over road safety and vehicle maintenance standards on major highways, particularly during the peak tourist season when thousands of travellers head towards the hill stations of northern Pakistan.
