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.
The Balochistan government has formally ordered an investigation into the tragic passenger bus accident at Danasar. The inquiry aims to uncover the causes and establish the facts surrounding the incident.
On the directives of Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti, the Secretary Transport Balochistan has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive investigation, examining all aspects of the accident, and submitting a detailed report.
Aide to the Chief Minister for Political and Media Affairs, Shahid Rind, said that the government will ensure a transparent and impartial review of the tragedy to determine its root causes and implement effective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
He emphasized that the Chief Minister has made it clear that no negligence or carelessness will be tolerated during the inquiry, and those found responsible will be identified in accordance with the law and facts.
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.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday expressed deep grief over the loss of precious lives in a bus accident in the Danasar area on the Sherani-Zhob highway, located on the border between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The prime minister, in a statement, prayed for peace for the departed souls and expressed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the victims.
He also prayed for the early recovery of those injured in the accident and directed the relevant authorities to provide them with all possible medical assistance.
Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah has expressed his profound grief and sorrow over the tragic passenger bus accident in Balochistan.
The loss of precious human lives in the Zhob bus accident is deeply heartbreaking.
The CM said we stand in solidarity with the bereaved families and share their grief.