A bus fire in eastern Pakistan killed at least 18 people on Sunday after it struck a van carrying petrol drums, a police source said.
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The accident happened on the highway at around 4:30 a.m. local time (23:30 GMT) near the town of Pindi Bhattian in eastern Punjab province.
“Within five minutes, the whole bus was engulfed in flames. 18 people were burned and 16 others were injured, four of whom are in critical condition,” police chief Fahad Ahmed told AFP.
“It appears that the bus driver dozed off,” he added, adding that the van that was hit was loaded with petrol drums in the trunk.
Dilapidated highways, lax safety measures and reckless driving all contribute to Pakistan’s dismal road safety record.
Buses are often overcrowded and wearing seat belts is not common.
In January, at least 40 people were killed when a bus fell off a bridge in south-west Pakistan and burst into flames.