17 killed as oil tanker and bus collide

A speeding oil tanker slammed into a passenger bus on a road in northwestern Pakistan today, killing 17 people and injuring two others, police said.

It happened on Indus Highway, about 90 miles south of Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province.

A police official said rescue teams had transported the dead and injured to a hospital.

“According to initial reports, the negligence of the oil tanker’s driver caused this accident, but officers are still investigating,” he said.

The dead included women and children, but gave no further details.

Fatal road accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules are often disregarded and drivers work long hours.

The latest accident came days after a bus caught fire after slamming into a high-voltage transmission line in central Pakistan, killing 11 people and wounding several others.