Truck fire on Indus Highway destroys cargo worth millions in Dera Ismail Khan

A container truck carrying clothing caught fire on Monday along the Indus Highway near Dhorah Solhan Adda village in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, resulting in the destruction of goods worth millions of rupees.

Police said the cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The blaze quickly engulfed the vehicle, completely burning the cargo and reducing it to ashes. Thick smoke spread across the area, causing visibility issues and forcing a temporary closure of the highway.

Traffic on the Indus Highway, which connects Peshawar to Karachi, was suspended for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours as emergency teams rushed to the scene to control the fire and secure the area.

Rescue and fire services managed to extinguish the blaze after a sustained operation. Once the situation was brought under control, the damaged truck was removed from the road and traffic flow was restored.

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Authorities confirmed that no casualties have been reported in the incident so far. However, an investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the fire.

Officials said such incidents highlight the risks associated with long-haul transport on major highways, particularly when carrying commercial goods over long distances.

Separately, authorities noted another road incident on April 25 in which at least 11 people were injured in a traffic accident on the Karakoram Highway in Shangla district, reportedly due to poor visibility at night.

Pakistan continues to experience a high number of road accidents annually. According to the World Health Organization, more than 27,000 people die each year in road crashes in the country, with hundreds of thousands more injured.