150 killed in massive fuel tanker blast

MORE than 150 people died yesterday when an overturned petrol tanker exploded as they collected spilt fuel.

They had rushed to the scene of the accident with jerry cans after being alerted to it via a loudspeaker at the local mosque, but the fire erupted when a passer-by lit a cigarette.

The truck was driving from the southern Pakistan port city of Karachi to Lahore, the Punjab provincial capital, when the driver lost control after a tyre blew and crashed on a sharp bend outside Bahawalpur.

Police moved quickly to redirect traffic on the motorway but could not stop the scores of villagers who had responded to the announcement from the mosque.

The 153 dead included men, women and children. Officials said many were burnt beyond recognition and will have to be identified using DNA testing.

An emergency was declared at the Victoria Hospital in Bahawalpur, with extra doctors and nurses called in to deal with the casualties. Many had suffered burns to more than 80 per cent of their bodies, said Dr Javed Iqbal.

After being stabilised, 22 patients were transferred by aircraft to hospitals in Lahore. Some of the most badly burned were evacuated by army helicopters to Multan, about 60 miles away.

The disaster came in the hours before the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. While most other Muslim countries celebrated yesterday, Pakistanis will mark it today.