14 killed in van-truck collision in northern Pakistan

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 12, 2017 (BSS/XINHUA) – At least 14 people were killed and six others injured when a passengers van hit a truck in Pakistan’s northern Rawalpindi district on Tuesday, officials said.

Six people, including a kid, were also injured in the accident, which happened at motorway near Chakri interchange in the district, the spokesperson of motorway police said.

Police said the van was on its way to Rawalpindi, a main district in the country’s eastern Punjab province, from central Jhang city of the province.

The accident happened when the over-speeding van crashed into the truck while trying to overtake it.

The spokesperson said that the van’s gas cylinder exploded due to the collision, engulfing it in fire, which resulted in the large number of casualties.

Local Urdu TV channel Express said that some of the bodies have been burnt beyond recognition and will be identified by DNA test.

The injured people have been shifted to a nearby hospital.

Police cordoned off the area to determine the cause of the accident.