13 killed as van falls in canal in Pak

At least 13 people including four women and a child were killed today in Pakistan when a vehicle they were travelling in fell into a canal in the country's Punjab province here.
There were 20 passengers in the van which was heading towards Changa Manga from Raiwind in the Province, according to officials. When the vehicle reached a Balloki Sulaimanki link canal in the outskirts of Lahore, one of its tyres apparently burst and the van fell in the canal.
Thirteen people including four women and a child have been killed. Before the rescue teams could reach the spot, most of the passengers had drowned. A search operation was launched to locate the missing persons.

"Eight men, four women and a four-year-old boy were recovered dead while the rescuers saved six people and shifted them to hospital. The search for two to three more passengers is underway," rescue official Jam Sajjad said.
Though the exact cause behind the accident was being ascertained, officials said a possible tyre burst could be one of the reasons.
A large number of local residents also gathered there and helped in rescue efforts.