Eleven people were killed and 33 others injured on Thursday evening when a passenger bus collided with a truck on Depalpur Road near Pakpattan in Punjab province, rescue officials said. The bus was travelling from Multan to Kasur when it struck a truck coming in the opposite direction near a stop known as 17 SP Stop, according to Rescue 1122, the provincial emergency service. Among the dead were two uniformed officers, a patrolling police official and a member of the Para Force, the Express Tribune reported.
It is the latest deadly collision on Punjab's roads, where Rescue 1122 recorded 464 deaths in 44,797 road accidents during October alone.
What happened
The collision happened on Depalpur Road, a route linking Pakpattan with surrounding districts, on Thursday, 5 November. A passenger bus travelling from Multan towards Kasur collided head-on with a truck approaching from the opposite direction near 17 SP Stop, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Umair Iqbal said. The impact trapped passengers inside the wreckage of the bus, and rescue teams used cranes and other heavy machinery to reach them.
Rescue 1122 deployed nine emergency vehicles to the scene, Arab News reported, and the rescue operation lasted about three hours, according to the district administration.
Two of those killed were identified as Ali Hasnain of the Patrolling Police and Zahid Imam of the Para Force, the Express Tribune reported. The names of the other victims have not yet been released publicly.
The dead and the injured
Rescue 1122 said 11 people had died in the collision and 33 others were injured. Eight of the injured had minor injuries, while 25 were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Pakpattan, Dawn reported.
Deputy Commissioner Asif Raza and District Police Officer Javed Iqbal Chadhar reached the scene to oversee the rescue operation, working alongside Rescue 1122 teams and the district administration, according to the district administration's press release.
District Commissioner Asif Raza directed the hospital administration to ensure the provision of "prompt, high-quality medical care" to all the injured, the district administration said.
Given the gravity of the incident, the deputy commissioner declared an emergency at DHQ Hospital in Pakpattan and summoned additional doctors and medical staff. He later visited the hospital with the district police officer to check on the injured and review the arrangements for their care.
Official response
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz sought a report on the accident and directed the district administration to ensure the best possible medical facilities for the injured, according to a handout from the province's Directorate General of Public Relations. She expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives, prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and extended her condolences to the bereaved families.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed "profound grief and sorrow" over the "tragic loss", extending his condolences to the bereaved families and praying for the early recovery of the injured, Dawn reported. National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also offered his condolences to the families of those killed.
A wider road-safety problem
The Pakpattan crash comes against a grim backdrop of road deaths across Punjab. In October alone, 44,797 road traffic accidents were reported across the province, leaving at least 464 people dead and 23,543 seriously injured, according to Rescue 1122 figures cited by the Express Tribune.
Motorcycles were involved in nearly one-third of the accidents recorded in Punjab in October, Rescue 1122 said. Lahore recorded the highest number of crashes, with 7,874 incidents, followed by Multan with 2,838 and Faisalabad with 2,615.
Road accidents are common in Punjab, with experts often blaming rash driving, rising vehicle ownership and inadequate pedestrian infrastructure, the Express Tribune reported.
What is not yet known
No official cause for the Pakpattan collision has been established, and no investigation findings have been released. The chief minister's request for a report is the first step towards establishing what happened.
An incident report compiled by Rescue 1122, reported by Arab News, said the accident happened as the bus was speeding while overtaking a motorcycle. That account has not been confirmed by any formal investigation, and other reports describe the cause as not yet known. The circumstances of the collision should be treated as preliminary until the official inquiry reports.
It is also not yet known how many of the 25 people taken to hospital remain in a serious condition, or whether the death toll will rise as the injured are treated.
Timeline
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Thursday evening, 5 November | Passenger bus travelling from Multan to Kasur collides with a truck coming in the opposite direction on Depalpur Road near 17 SP Stop, Pakpattan |
| Thursday evening | Rescue 1122 deploys nine emergency vehicles; a three-hour rescue operation uses cranes and heavy machinery to free trapped passengers |
| Thursday evening | Deputy Commissioner Asif Raza and District Police Officer Javed Iqbal Chadhar reach the scene; emergency declared at DHQ Hospital, Pakpattan |
| Thursday night | Eight injured treated for minor injuries; 25 admitted to DHQ Hospital, Pakpattan |
| Thursday night | Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz seeks a report on the crash; President Asif Ali Zardari and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq offer condolences |
Frequently asked questions
Where did the crash happen?
On Depalpur Road near 17 SP Stop, outside Pakpattan in Punjab province, Pakistan. The bus was travelling from Multan to Kasur when it collided with a truck coming the other way.
How many people were killed and injured?
Rescue 1122 said 11 people were killed and 33 injured. Of the injured, eight had minor injuries and 25 were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Pakpattan.
Who were the victims?
Two of the dead have been publicly identified as Ali Hasnain of the Patrolling Police and Zahid Imam of the Para Force. The names of the other victims have not yet been released.
What caused the crash?
The cause has not been officially established. An early incident report said the bus was speeding while overtaking a motorcycle, but no formal investigation findings have been released, and the chief minister has asked for a report on the accident.
How common are fatal road crashes in Punjab?
Very common. Rescue 1122 recorded 44,797 road accidents in Punjab in October 2026, with 464 deaths and 23,543 people seriously injured. Motorcycles were involved in nearly a third of the crashes.
Key takeaways
- Eleven people were killed and 33 injured when a bus travelling from Multan to Kasur collided with a truck on Depalpur Road near Pakpattan on Thursday evening, Rescue 1122 said.
- Two of the dead were uniformed officers, Ali Hasnain of the Patrolling Police and Zahid Imam of the Para Force.
- A three-hour rescue operation used cranes and heavy machinery to free passengers trapped in the wreckage; 25 injured people were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Pakpattan.
- The cause has not been officially established; the chief minister has sought a report on the crash.
- The crash underlines Punjab's road-safety crisis: 464 people died in 44,797 road accidents in the province in October alone, according to Rescue 1122.
The focus now turns to the condition of the 25 people admitted to hospital in Pakpattan, and to the report the chief minister has requested. Until that report is published, the precise cause of the collision remains unconfirmed.
