At least 40 individuals lost their lives, and eight others sustained injuries when an overcrowded bus careened into a ravine in south-west Pakistan.
The incident occurred on the Zhob-Sherani Highway in the Dana Sar area, near the border of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, early on Friday, as reported by officials.
According to Sanaullah Sherani, the head of Zhob district’s emergency center, the tragic event involved a passenger bus traveling from Quetta to Peshawar that plunged into a deep ravine in the mountainous Dana Sar area. The bus fell approximately 70 to 80 feet into the ravine.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind disclosed that the bus was carrying its passengers and individuals from another broken-down bus, resulting in overcrowding. Rescue teams are actively engaged in identifying the victims of the accident.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the incident, extending sympathies to the families of the deceased and wishing a swift recovery to the injured.
In a separate statement, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti conveyed his condolences and urged authorities to ensure that the injured individuals receive optimal medical treatment.
Road accidents are a prevalent issue in Pakistan, attributed to substandard road conditions, lax traffic law enforcement, and reckless driving practices, especially in hilly terrains.
Earlier in May, a minibus collision with a parked bus along a motorway in north-west Pakistan resulted in 17 fatalities and five injuries.
Similarly, in January, two separate road accidents claimed the lives of 24 individuals and left 45 others wounded. The first incident took place in Sargodha, Punjab province, where a truck skidded off the road into a canal due to heavy fog, causing 14 deaths and nine injuries. Subsequently, a speeding passenger bus overturned on the Makran Coastal Highway in Balochistan, leading to the demise of 10 individuals and injuring 36 others. The bus was en route from Karachi, Sindh province, to Jiwani, Balochistan.
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