18 killed, 14 injured in northeastern Pakistan road accident

At least 18 passengers were burned to death and another 14 were injured when a passenger bus caught fire after colliding with a van in Pakistan's northeastern Punjab province on Sunday morning, police said.

The fatal accident occurred near Hafizabad district, some 124 kilometers (75 miles) from the provincial capital Lahore, where the ill-fated bus rammed into the van carrying diesel drums.

District police chief Fahad Ahmad told reporters that the charred bodies of at least 18 passengers were taken out from the bus, while the injured, four of them critically, were shifted to a hospital.

The bus was carrying 40-50 passengers from the port city of Karachi to the capital Islamabad.

The drivers of both vehicles were also killed in the accident, Ahmad added.

Footage aired on local broadcaster Geo News showed the completely charred bus lying in the middle of the road.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan, owing primarily to lax safety standards and inadequate infrastructure.