Eleven individuals, including schoolchildren and the driver, sustained injuries after a Suzuki Carry transporting students veered off the road and caught fire near Aloch Mor on Bara Houtar Link Road in Murree on Tuesday. The vehicle, a 2006-model Suzuki Carry/Bolan with registration number KI-861, was carrying 11 occupants when the accident occurred on Angoori Road.
The initial investigation suggests the fire originated from a spark in the vehicle’s battery. Notably, the vehicle was not equipped with a fire extinguisher at the time. The Suzuki Carry’s seating capacity is officially eight adults or 10 children, indicating that the number of passengers exceeded its designated limit.
Rescue teams and police arrived promptly, evacuating the passengers and administering first aid before transporting them to Civil Hospital Murree for medical attention.
Among the injured, eight children were reported to be in stable condition, while three sustained severe burn injuries requiring advanced treatment. The burns covered approximately 38%, 26%, and 42% of their bodies, respectively. These seriously injured children were later referred to Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi for further care.
In a significant development, a detailed technical and mechanical examination of the vehicle has been recommended to ascertain the precise cause of the fire. The initial findings regarding the battery spark remain preliminary and will be subject to further investigation.
Murree Deputy Commissioner Agha Zaheer Abbas Shirazi instructed Rescue 1122 and district administration to expedite relief efforts. He visited the hospital to meet the injured children and review their treatment, urging hospital staff to provide the highest level of medical care. Similarly, Murree District Police Officer Raza Tanveer Supra visited THQ Hospital and maintained communication concerning the children transferred to other facilities.
Following the incident, Murree police announced enhanced enforcement of safety regulations and traffic rules for public transport, with a particular focus on school vans. DPO Supra directed the City Traffic Officer, district police, and City Traffic Police to conduct joint inspections aimed at curbing overloading, unsafe gas cylinders, unfit vehicles, lack of route permits, and drivers without valid licenses.
In the past two months, traffic authorities issued 11,092 challans to 10,808 vehicles, collecting fines totaling Rs15.877 million. Violations included 1,682 cases of passenger overloading, 566 cargo overloading incidents, 78 challans related to unsafe gas cylinders in public transport, and three additional cases. Authorities also penalized 576 vehicles operating without route permits and 11 without fitness certificates. Other infractions involved driving without licenses, underage driving, absence of vehicle registration, failure to use helmets or seat belts, mobile phone use while driving, lane violations, traffic obstruction, and improper parking.
Officials emphasized that special inspections targeting school vans and public transport will be intensified to prioritize passenger and child safety.
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