ISLAMABAD: At least seven people from the same family were killed and six others injured after a passenger van collided with a truck in Chaubara city, located in the Layyah district of Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, on Thursday, as reported by the police.

According to details provided by the police in Layyah, the passenger van was traveling from Bhakkar to Mian Channu when the collision occurred near the Hafizabad bus stop. The injured were rushed to the district hospital for treatment.

“District Police Officer Asadur Rahman immediately visited the hospital upon receiving the information of the tragic accident at Chaubara’s Hafizabad bus stop and expressed deep sorrow, regret, and heartfelt sympathy for the loss of seven precious lives in the passenger van accident,” said the Layyah police in a post on the X messaging platform.

“Rahman also visited the injured in the hospital and issued instructions to provide the best possible treatment to them,” it added.

A spokesperson from Punjab’s Rescue 1122 informed Arab News over the phone that the seven individuals killed in the accident were en route to attend a relative’s funeral. The spokesperson added that the accident occurred due to the van’s excessive speed.

Fatal road accidents remain a common occurrence in Pakistan, where adherence to traffic rules is often lax, and roads, especially in many small towns and rural areas, tend to be in poor condition.

According to the Punjab Emergency Services Department’s website, at least 11 people lost their lives in various road accidents across the province in the last 24 hours. During the day, Rescue 1122 teams also responded to over 1,125 road traffic incidents.