At least seven passengers including women were killed while 14 were injured after a passenger van caught fire due to gas leakage in Bhalwal tehsil of Punjab’s Sargodha district on Saturday morning.

The passenger van was carrying 21 people including women from Bhalwal to Kot Momin.

The vehicle was engulfed in a sudden fire near the Commerce College on Kot Momin Road after gas began to leak from the vehicle’s Compressed Natural Gas cylinder.

The passengers also included a police head constable, Shahid Safdar, who saved several passengers.

“The vehicle was carrying around 21 passengers when it suddenly burst into flames near Commerce College. I jumped out of the van after breaking the glass windows and pull out several passengers from the vehicle,” said Safdar told Aaj News.

“I heard someone from the back of the van calling for help. I opened the back door of the vehicle and pulled out two women but the other seven passengers had died after severe burns,” he added.

After being informed, Rescue 1122 and police officials arrived at the scene and shifted the victims to the Tehsil Headquarter Hospital Bhalwal, from where five critically injured were referred to other hospitals.

Passengers who were seated in the front rows jumped out of the van, while the backseat passengers including women could not escape the torched vehicle.

While severe burns made it impossible to identify them, the deceased family members said that those who lost their lives included Samia Gul, Tayyaba Khalid, Ayesha Khalid and Kulsoom Akhter.

Muhammad Feroz, Naziran Bibi and Najma Bibi from Kot Momin; Muhammad Ali and Sawera from Bhalwal; and Muhammad Arham and Suffa Sarfaraz from Islamabad were injured in the fateful tragedy.

The civil defence experts said that the fire was ignited due to gas leakage.

Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab Mohsin Naqvi expressed grief over the tragedy and directed the authorities to investigate into the matter.

He also directed proper medical care for those injured.