PESHAWAR - As many as 6 passengers were burnt to death and 8 more sustained injuries as a van caught fire due to gas leakage on Indus Highway in district Kohat on Tuesday morning.

According to details, a passenger van was on way to Dera Ismail Khan from Peshawar, which suddenly caught fire at Khawai Banda in district Kohat after gas leak that caused the fire, which within no time engulfed the whole van.

In the meanwhile, the van after catching fire also collided with a loaded truck coming from the opposite side. At the time of the tragic incident, a total of 12 passengers were on board in the van and six of them were burnt to death due to gas leakage fire, six more inured, while two more people also wounded in truck-van collision.

All the injured were shifted to district headquarters hospital Kohat and those in critical condition were referred to Peshawar. As a result of the incident, traffic on the Indus Highway remained suspended for some time.

Police said that the coach was on way to D.I. Khan from Peshawar. When it reached near Khawasi Banda village, it collided with a dumper due to speeding and caught fire. The identity of the victims could not be ascertained till filing this report.