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At least 11 people lost their lives and 33 others sustained injuries following a severe collision between a passenger bus and a truck near Pakpattan in Pakistan’s Punjab province, according to local media reports on Friday.
Detailing the casualties, Rescue 1122 confirmed that 11 individuals died on the spot. The department further mentioned that eight people suffered minor injuries, while 25 others were rushed to hospitals in Pakpattan, Pakistan-based daily Dawn reported. According to an official press release issued by the district administration, the tragic crash occurred along Depalpur Road when a passenger bus travelling from Multan to Kasur collided head-on with an oncoming truck travelling in the opposite direction. Emergency responders battled the wreckage for three hours, deploying cranes and heavy machinery to extricate victims trapped inside the mangled vehicles. Highlighting the alarming state of road safety and administrative failures across the region, official statistics revealed that as many as 464 people were killed and 23,543 others were seriously injured in 44,797 road accidents across Pakistan''s Punjab province during October alone, with nearly three-quarters of these incidents involving motorcycles, local media reported, citing rescue authorities. The grim data was made public during a monthly review meeting assessing the emergency operational performance of Rescue 1122 districts throughout Punjab. During October, rescue teams responded to 231,056 emergencies, successfully managing to save 233,210 lives, according to department figures cited by another Pakistan-based daily, The Express Tribune. The mounting emergency caseload covered various incidents, including road crashes, destructive fires, critical medical emergencies and drowning cases, with the department logging 1,726 fire emergencies and 94 drowning incidents across Punjab during the month. A district-wise breakdown revealed that the provincial capital, Lahore, recorded the highest number of road crashes at 7,874, predominantly involving motorcycles. Multan followed with 2,838 accidents involving 3,312 motorcycles, Faisalabad recorded 2,615 crashes involving 2,896 motorcycles, Gujranwala logged 2,092 accidents involving 2,250 motorcycles, Sheikhupura registered 1,714 crashes involving 1,706 motorcycles, and Taunsa Sharif reported 142 accidents involving 160 motorcycles. Furthermore, The Express Tribune reported that Rescue 1122 personnel responded to 6,924 fire and rescue emergencies, alongside thousands of medical cases, including 5,275 diabetic crises, 4,915 psychosocial emergencies, 4,227 back and joint pain cases, 4,195 crime-related emergencies and 379 allergy incidents. (ANI)
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