As many as 42 people in Multan and 23 in Lahore have succumbed to injuries during treatment recently

ISLAMABAD (AFP/Dunya News) - The death toll from an oil tanker explosion in central Punjab has risen to 195, according to hospital staff, government officials and media reports as five more people succumbed to injuries.

"The death toll from the tanker fire incident is now 190 after expiry of more injured people," Tahira Parveen, medical superintendent of Bahawalpur Victoria hospital, told AFP on Friday while it was reported today that another five persons lost their lives in Multan Nishtar Hospital and Lahore Jinnah Hospital during medical treatment in burn units.

As many as 42 people in Multan and 23 in Lahore have sccumbed to injuries recently.

A senior local administration official confirmed the toll. Motorway police spokesman Imran Shah has said that a government inquiry into the incident had found at least five police officials guilty of hiding information.

The tanker overturned early Sunday on a main highway from Karachi to Lahore while carrying some 40,000 litres of fuel. It exploded minutes later as crowds from a nearby village gathered to scavenge for fuel, despite warnings by the driver as well as motorway police to stay away. The accident took place in Ahmedpur Sharqia tehsil near Bahawalpur.

The tragedy marked a grim start to Eid, the celebrations closing the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Pakistan has a poor record of fatal traffic accidents due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.