Overturned Oil Tanker Explodes and Kills At Least 130 In Pakistan

An oil tanker overturned in eastern Pakistan, and then exploded as villagers were gathering around the tanker to try to salvage some of the spilled oil by collecting it in containers. The tanker flipped over on the national highway about 60 miles southwest of Multan. The tanker was driving from the southern port city of Karachi to Lahore, the Punjab provincial capital, when the driver lost control and crashed. The blast has left at least 130 people dead and a state of emergency has been declared in the city, Punjab government spokesman Salman Sufi said. Bahawalpur’s Victoria Hospital said it was treating 40 of the injured, all of whom have suffered 70% burns. Army helicopters have been summoned to help transport casualties to hospitals and burn centers, Armed Forces spokesman Major General Asif Chafon reported on Twitter. In the immediate aftermath of the accident, Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif “expressed deep grief over the heavy loss of life.” “The Prime Minister has directed provincial government to provide full medical assistance to the injured with burns,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s office said. “The Prime Minister has expressed sympathies with the bereaved families and prayed for the departed souls.” Chief Minister of Punjab Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said an inquiry would be held into the incident.