An overturned oil tanker has burst into flames in Pakistan, killing at least 153 people who had rushed to the scene - many to collect leaking fuel, an official said.

Crowds had flocked to the highway accident with jerry cans, buckets and other containers to get fuel from the tanker after it crashed - but it exploded about 10 minutes later, police said.

Residents of a nearby village had been told about the leaking fuel over a loudspeaker at a local mosque, senior local government official Rana Mohammad Saleem Afzal told state television.

Police had tried to seal off the area but became overwhelmed by the scores of people trying to reach the vehicle.

The same mosque then called on the remaining villagers to help put the fire out.


Those who rushed out described being confronted by a "horrible scene".

Image: Large plumes of black smoke could be seen from a distance

"I have never seen anything like it in my life. Victims trapped in the fireball. They were screaming for help," said Abdul Malik, one of the first police officers to arrive at the scene.

"We saw bodies everywhere, so many were just skeletons. The people who were alive were in really bad shape," he said after the fire had been put out.

The tanker was travelling from the southern port city of Karachi to Lahore when the driver lost control and crashed near the city of Bahawalpur around 6.30am. It reportedly had a burst tyre.

Officials said many of the victims - including children - were burnt beyond recognition and that DNA tests were being carried out to identify the dead, adding that the number of fatalities was likely to rise.

Around 140 others were injured in the explosion and were airlifted to nearby hospitals by army helicopters, 50 in a critical condition having suffered more than 80% burns to their bodies.

Image: It took firefighters around two hours to put out the blaze

The driver survived and is in custody.

Regional police chief Raja Riffat said residents from the village Ramzanpur Joya rushed to the site to collect fuel and a "large number" of people on motorcycles also came.

"After about 10 minutes the tanker exploded in a huge fireball and enveloped the people collecting petrol. It was not clear how the fire started," he said.

Jam Sajjad Hussain, spokesman for the rescue services, added: "According to the initial reports, somebody tried to light a cigarette. The spilt fuel caught fire, leading to the tanker's explosion."

Image: Around 140 people were injured in the blast and taken to hospital

Flames and large plumes of black smoke could be seen from a distance as firefighters battled the blaze for two hours before it was out.

Witnesses described seeing around 30 charred motorbikes. Almost a dozen other vehicles were also destroyed by the inferno.

The tragedy happened on the eve of Eid ul-Fitr celebrations marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Pakistan.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his grief and ordered provincial leaders to ensure victims received "full medical assistance".