13 killed, 5 injured as truck falls over bus in Pakistan

Islamabad, Aug 14 (IANS) At least 13 people were killed and five others injured after a truck fell over a passenger bus in Rahim Yar Khan city of Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, local media reported.

A passenger bus fell into a sinkhole at Feroza Central road and got stuck into it. The accident took place when a truck loaded with sugar bags fell over the bus, rescue workers told local media on Saturday night.

The rescue operation was started afterward with 10 emergency vehicles as well as cranes of the district administration, rescue officials said, adding that the rescue work was hampered due to heavy rains, Xinhua news agency reported.

The initial death toll of five increased to 13 as rescue teams started taking bodies out of the bus, the rescue officials said.

The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for medical treatment, they added.

Road accidents frequently happen in Pakistan, mainly due to poorly maintained vehicles, dilapidated roads and negligence of road safety measures.