QUETTA: At least 40 people were killed and eight others injured on Friday after an overcrowded passenger bus fell into a ravine in a remote district of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, an official said, in one of the deadliest road accidents in recent years.
The fatal accident occurred in Dana Sar, a mountainous area on Balochistan’s border with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, when the bus with 48 passengers aboard veered off a narrow road and plunged into a 400-feet deep ravine on its way to Peshawar from Quetta.
Road accidents and public safety remain a major challenge in Pakistan’s impoverished Balochistan province where reckless driving, poor infrastructure and sharp bends contribute to hundreds of casualties each year.
Hazar Wali Kakar, deputy commissioner of Balochistan’s Sherani district where the crash occurred, said the bus was overcrowded with passengers as the driver had also seated passengers from another bus that had broken down on the route.
“Forty passengers were killed in the tragic incident and eight sustained injuries,” Kakar told Arab News. “The bodies and injured have been shifted to Zhob Trauma Center while the rescue operation is about to be completed.”
Dr. Sultan Ahmed, medical superintendent at Zhob District Headquarters Hospital, said the injured were being treated and the bodies were being identified.
“Four critically injured passengers were referred to Quetta for better medical treatment,” he told Arab News.
The Sherani deputy commissioner said authorities were trying to ascertain the cause of the accident but initial investigations indicated that the driver lost control while speeding the vehicle.
In a statement, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also expressed grief over the loss of life and ordered authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible medical treatment.
“All relevant departments are working in complete coordination to carry out relief operations and provide every possible facility to the victims,” said Shahid Rind, an aide to the provincial government for media affairs.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the crash, offered condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
He directed the authorities ensure the injured receive the best possible medical care.
Road accidents in Pakistan often result from poor road conditions, inadequate enforcement of traffic laws and unsafe driving practices, particularly in mountainous areas.
In May, a minibus rammed into a bus parked along a motorway in northwest Pakistan, killing 17 people and injuring five others.
