PESHAWAR – At least 16 people were killed and seven others sustained serious injuries in a devastating road accident near Ismaila on the Mardan Swat Expressway, police and motorway authorities confirmed.According to officials, the tragic incident occurred when a speeding passenger van collided with a passenger bus near Ismaila.The impact of the collision was so severe that 16 passengers died on the spot, while several others suffered critical injuries.
Mardan Police said the ill fated van was travelling to Dir when the accident took place.Rescue teams and motorway police rushed to the scene immediately after receiving information about the crash and shifted the injured and bodies to nearby hospitals.
Motorway Police confirmed that seven injured persons were shifted to Mardan Medical Complex for emergency treatment, adding that the condition of three injured passengers is stated to be critical.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the accident occurred due to the negligence and reckless driving of the van driver, motorway officials said.
Authorities further stated that legal formalities and medico legal procedures are underway, after which the bodies of the deceased will be handed over to their families.The tragic incident has created an atmosphere of grief in the area, while relatives of the victims gathered at hospitals and the accident site in anguish.
