Two-Month-Old Baby Killed, 15 Injured After Coaster Falls into Canal Near Buchiana

A two-month-old boy was killed and 15 passengers were seriously injured when a speeding passenger coaster went out of control and overturned into a canal on Buchiana-Jaranwala Road on Friday.

The coaster was travelling from Sialkot to Jaranwala via Buchiana when it veered off the road near the Baidi Mor stop, about two kilometres from Buchiana towards Jaranwala, and plunged into the canal running alongside the road. The bus falls into canal tragedy has left one family grieving and renewed concern over the safety of passenger transport on inter-city routes in Punjab.

Search operation after bus falls into canal

Rescue 1122 teams rushed to the scene after receiving the call. They provided first aid to the injured passengers at the site and then shifted them to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Jaranwala and the District Headquarters Hospital in Nankana Sahib for treatment.

The infant, identified as Dawood, was swept away by the fast-flowing canal water and went missing soon after the crash. Rescue 1122 divers launched a search operation and recovered his body after an hour of effort, about one kilometre from the accident site, and handed it over to his family.

Driver flees; police launch search

Police from the Buchiana police station reached the scene, took the coaster into custody and launched a search for the driver, who fled after the accident. Police said the investigation would determine whether the driver would face charges for reckless driving, while the search for him continued. The coaster remains in police custody as evidence while the investigation proceeds.

What happens next

The immediate focus is on the driver, who remains at large, while the coaster stays in police custody as investigators establish the full sequence of events.

The 15 injured passengers are under treatment at the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Jaranwala and the District Headquarters Hospital in Nankana Sahib. No update on their condition had been released at the time of reporting.

The accident has once again put the spotlight on road safety on inter-city routes in Punjab, where speeding passenger vehicles continue to claim lives.

What caused the Buchiana bus accident?

Police said the speeding coaster went out of control near the Baidi Mor stop on Buchiana-Jaranwala Road and overturned into the canal running alongside the road.

How many people were injured?

Fifteen passengers were seriously injured and shifted to hospitals in Jaranwala and Nankana Sahib. A two-month-old boy, Dawood, was killed.

What happened to the driver?

The driver fled the scene after the crash. Police took the coaster into custody and launched a search for him.

Where was the bus travelling?

The coaster was travelling from Sialkot to Jaranwala via Buchiana. It went out of control near the Baidi Mor stop, about two kilometres from Buchiana towards Jaranwala.

Where are the injured being treated?

The 15 injured passengers were shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Jaranwala and the District Headquarters Hospital in Nankana Sahib.

The Express Tribune reported the accident on Saturday.