Murree School Van Fire Injures 11 Children, Punjab CM Seeks Report
Eleven children were burned when a school van caught fire in Murree on 29 September. What officials said, and the Punjab van safety rules parents can check.
Eleven children were injured with burns after a school van went off the road and caught fire in Murree on Tuesday 29 September 2026, according to Radio Pakistan. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has asked for a report on the incident.
On the Chief Minister's instructions, Murree Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Shirazi went to the site and made sure the injured students were moved to hospital, the state broadcaster said. No official statement we read gave the cause of the fire.
For parents in Murree and across Punjab, the hard question is what a school van is supposed to have on board. We read Punjab's own motor vehicle rules to answer it, and the answers are below.
Eleven children were hurt when a school van caught fire in Murree
A school van veered off the road in an area of Murree and caught fire on 29 September, leaving 11 children with burn injuries, Radio Pakistan reported. The Deputy Commissioner reached the site and the children were shifted to hospital. The Chief Minister has sought a report.
Press reports on the same day differ on some details. Some give the number hurt as 10 rather than 11. Reports also differ on the exact place in Murree and on how the van left the road. We have used the official figure of 11 and left out details we could not confirm.
Some reports quoted early findings on what started the fire. No government body had published a cause when we checked. The Chief Minister's report is where an official finding should come from, so we are not repeating any guess here.
The Chief Minister has asked for a report
Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed grief over the injured students and sought a report on the incident, Radio Pakistan said. That report is the next official step. It should say what caused the fire and whether the van met the rules.
Until that report is out, there is no official answer on the van's condition, its fuel system or its permit. We will add the findings to this page if the Punjab government publishes them.
Parents of the injured children who need emergency help can call Rescue 1122, the Punjab emergency service. Rescue 1122 handles road accidents and fires across the province.
Punjab's rules set fire safety standards for vans that carry passengers
Punjab's Provincial Motor Vehicles Rules, 1969 set fire safety standards for public service vehicles. The Ordinance defines those as vehicles carrying passengers for hire or reward, which covers a van that parents pay to carry their children to school.
We read the rules in the version posted by the Punjab Transport Department, updated to 30 November 2023. These are the parts that deal with fire risk:
| Rule | What it says, in short |
|---|---|
| Rule 199, fuel tanks | No fuel tank under any part of the gangway within two feet of an entrance or exit. Filling points outside the body of the vehicle. |
| Rule 200, carburettor | Placed and shielded so leaking fuel cannot fall on anything that could ignite it. |
| Rule 201, exhaust pipe | Fitted or shielded so it is not likely to cause a fire near flammable material. |
| Rule 202, electric wires | All electric wires or leads must be adequately insulated. |
| Rule 203, fire extinguishers | A Regional Transport Authority may require one as a condition of the permit, and set inspections. |
| Rule 225, dangerous substances | Apart from the vehicle's own fuel, nothing highly inflammable is carried unless packed so it is unlikely to cause harm in an accident. |
Note what the rules do not say. The fire extinguisher is not automatic for every van under Rule 203. It depends on the permit conditions set by the transport authority.
Parents can check five things on a school van
A parent cannot inspect an engine. But you can check a few plain things before your child gets in, using the rules above as a guide. Ask the driver or the van owner, and ask the school if it arranges the van.
- Ask whether the van has a valid fitness certificate from a Punjab vehicle inspection station.
- Look for a working fire extinguisher inside, and ask when it was last checked.
- Check that no fuel container, spare cylinder or other inflammable load is carried with the children.
- Look for loose or bare wires near the seats, the dashboard or the doors.
- Make sure the doors open from inside and that no seat or bag blocks the exit.
Punjab tests commercial vehicles once every six months, and the process is set out in how commercial vehicles get a fitness certificate in Punjab. A van with an up to date certificate has at least been looked at by an inspector.
If a school van looks unsafe, raise it with the school first. You can also report it to the district Regional Transport Authority, which issues route permits and can set conditions on them.
What happens next in the Murree case
The next official step is the report the Chief Minister has sought. It should settle the cause, the van's condition and any action against those responsible. Nothing in this article alleges fault by the driver, the school or any official.
If you are a parent in Murree whose child travels by van, you do not need to wait for the report to ask the checks above. They take five minutes. We will correct this page openly if any detail turns out to be wrong.
Common questions
How many children were injured in the Murree school van fire?
Eleven, according to Radio Pakistan. Some press reports gave the number as 10.
What caused the Murree school van fire?
No official cause had been published when we checked. The Punjab Chief Minister has sought a report on the incident.
Does a school van in Punjab need a fire extinguisher?
Under Rule 203, a Regional Transport Authority may require one as a condition of the permit. It is not written as automatic for every van.
Can a school van carry fuel cans or gas cylinders?
Rule 225 bars highly inflammable substances on passenger vehicles, other than the vehicle's own fuel, unless packed so they are unlikely to cause harm in an accident.
Where do I report an unsafe school van in Punjab?
Raise it with the school, then with the district Regional Transport Authority. In an emergency, call Rescue 1122.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked at about 1:15 pm PKT on Tuesday 29 September 2026. The incident details, the Chief Minister's request for a report and the Deputy Commissioner's visit come from Radio Pakistan. The rules come from the Provincial Motor Vehicles Rules, 1969 and the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965, both as posted on the Punjab Transport Department's laws page, updated to 30 November 2023. The Rescue 1122 and Punjab Police websites did not carry the incident when we checked. This is general information, not legal advice.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
