Officials in Pakistan say an overturned oil tanker burst into flames Sunday, killing at least 140 people who had rushed to the scene to gather leaking fuel.  Authorities say about 80 people were injured in the explosion and many of them are in critical condition.

The tanker was traveling on the main highway from the southern port city of Karachi to the Punjab provincial capital of Lahore when the driver lost control of the vehicle.

Regional police chief Raja Riffat said when the tanker over turned  “the residents of the nearby village of Ramzanpur Joya rushed to the site with buckets and other containers, and a large number of people on motorcycles also came and started collecting the spilling fuel.”

It is not clear what caused the tanker to explode.

The disaster happened on the on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end the holy fasting month of Ramadan.  Roads are usually crowded at that time with people traveling to be with their families for the Eid celebrations.
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