This archive report was first published on 13 December 2019.
On December 13, 2019, a devastating accident occurred in Qila Saifullah district, western Pakistan, resulting in the loss of at least 14 lives.
The incident took place when a passenger van collided with a truck loaded with smuggled fuel, causing the van to catch fire.
According to Abdul Jabbar, a police official at the scene, the van fire was so intense that several bodies were severely burned and could not be immediately identified.
The remains of the victims were taken to the civil hospital in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province.
Police officials confirmed that the truck was carrying fuel smuggled from Iran, highlighting the region's notorious history of smuggling.
Pakistan has one of the world's worst records for fatal traffic accidents, attributed to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles, and reckless driving.
