At least 18 people burned to death on Sunday when an overnight bus smashed into another vehicle carrying diesel in eastern Pakistan, officials confirmed.

The accident took place on a motorway at around 4:30 am (2330 GMT on Saturday) near the town of Pindi Bhattian in eastern Punjab province. 

"Within five minutes, the whole bus was engulfed in flames. Eighteen people burned alive whereas 16 others were injured, of whom four are critical," senior police officer Fahad Ahmed told AFP on the phone. 

#Pakistan At least 18 people, including women and children, were burnt to death while 15 others sustained injuries in a collision between a passenger bus and a pick up carrying diesel barrels on Faisalabad Motorway near Pindi Bhattian pic.twitter.com/f6DIfDijnC

— Ghulam Abbas Shah (@ghulamabbasshah) August 20, 2023

"It seems that the driver of the bus dozed off," Ahmed suggested. 

The open-back van was carrying barrels of diesel and petrol.

It is noteworthy that in January, at least 40 people died when a bus plunged off a bridge in southwestern Pakistan and burst into flames.

Read more: Bus crash, boat capsize kill at least 50 in Pakistan