RAWALPINDI: Eight-year-old Mohammad Arham Ali Abbasi , brother of Ayesha Kaleem Abbasi who was among the four critically burnt school children, succumbed to his burn injuries in the Holy Family Hospital on Saturday – three days after his sister died.

Ayesha Kaleem, aged 14, a 9th class student who sustained more than 45 per cent burns while rescuing the other students, including her two brothers, eight-year-old brother Arham Ali and Abdullah, had died in the HFH on Wednesday. Arham Ali was laid to rest in a local graveyard on Saturday.

The remaining two critically burnt victims, including Abdullah Kaleem, 11, brother of Ayesha and Arham, is said to be in stable condition. Hassan Talib, 8, who was 26 per cent burnt was also being treated in the HFH.

Of the 12 injured in the school van fire incident, seven were allowed to go home after being treated in the THQ Hospital Murree, one was retained while four were referred to the HFH Rawalpindi.

Arham was the brother of Ayesha Kaleem who had died of her injuries on Wednesday

Two of the critically burned victims Ayesha and her brother Arham succumbed to their injuries.

A school van carrying 12 schoolchildren veered off the road rolled down and caught fire after an explosion in Murree on Tuesday.

The deputy commissioner had constituted a committee led by assistant commissioner and DSP Murree to ascertain the cause of fire in the school van.

While quoting the children, police said they heard the sound of an explosion and then the van caught fire.

“First the van driver and helper jumped out of the van and afterwards the school children came out of the burning van on their own sustaining burn injuries. The schoolchildren got off from the burning van on their own after the van’s driver and helper jumped out,” said a police official.

Police said the incident happened due to the negligence of the van driver as he was not having a vehicle fitness certificate which is valid for six months and requires re-inspection twice a year.

The driver had put a can of petrol under a seat. He lit a cigarette while driving the van when the vehicle veered off the road it rolled down suddenly and got engulfed in flames.

The residents of Murree raised many questions on the performance of City Traffic Police Murree and Regional Transport Authority. They demanded the chief minister Punjab to take strict action against the responsible

authorities who are bound to check public service vehicles’ fitness.

After the incident, Chief Traffic Officer Murree Munir Ahmed Hashmiappealed to parents across the country, including Punjab, to exercise special caution in choosing a vehicle for their children’s school pick and drop.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026