At least 20 killed, several wounded as passenger bus plunges into ditch near Sehwan toll plaza

Sehwan: At least 20 passengers were killed and several others inured after after a bus plunged into a ditch near Sehwan toll plaza on the Indus Highway on Thursday, witnesses and rescuers said.

Five passengers were rescued and shifted to a nearby hospital, while the operation is underway to evacuate more people.

Dr Moeen Siddiqui at the Abdullah Shah Institute of Medical Sciences Sehwan confirmed that five passengers were being treated. Two of the injured are told to be critical.

Meanwhile, he also informed that among the 18 who lost their lives 10 were children -- four boys and six girls aged between 10 to 15 years -- and eight women. 

However, police officials claim 17 passengers were on board out of which five were rescued.

Following the accident, police informed that cuts were installed on the Indus Highway during to drain flood water; however, the ditch wasn’t filled even two months later — which led to the unfortunate incident.