Road accident in East Pakistan kills 23

People gather at the accident site in east Pakistan's Bahawalpur, Oct 30, 2012. At least 23 people were killed when a fully packed passenger van collided with a truck in Pakistan's eastern Bahawalpur district on Tuesday, said the police.[Photo/Xinhua]

ISLAMABAD - At least 23 people were killed when a fully packed passenger van collided with a truck in Pakistan's eastern Bahawalpur district on Tuesday, said police.

Sohail Tajik, District Police Officer of Bahawalpur, told media that the accident took place at about noon time when a 14-seat Hiace passenger van had a head-on collision with a truck on a highway in Bahawalpur, a district in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province.

So far 23 people including women and kids have been confirmed dead in the accident, said the district police officer, adding that the accident was caused by overspeed.

Overspeed and overloading, plus poor road conditions, are main culprits for road accidents in Pakistan, which annually kill thousands of local people.  

Tuesday marks the end of a four-day national holiday in Pakistan. Many people return to work after spending the holiday in their hometown.