At least 28 people died and 22 were injured after a bus fell into a ravine in Washuk, Balochistan on Wednesday, according to officials.
Speaking to Dawn.com, Basima Assistant Commissioner (AC) Ismail Mengal said the accident occurred when a tyre of the vehicle got burst, which led to it crashing into a hill and then plunging into a ravine.
Three women and three children were also among the deceased, AC Mengal said.
He noted that the bus, which had 45 to 50 passengers on board and was travelling from Turbat to Quetta overnight, suffered the accident at around 5 in the morning.
Six passengers died on the spot while some of the injured were in critical condition, with officials fearing the death toll could rise.
Nine of the injured were in critical condition and transferred to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Khuzdar.
The Pakistan Army was requested to airlift four other passengers in critical condition to Quetta via helicopter to be admitted in the trauma centre.
The remaining 17 are being administered medical treatment in local Washuk hospitals.
Due to a lack of mobile network at the site of the incident and no population nearby, there was a delay in Levies officials getting information.
However, AC Mengal said that rescue officials reached the location as soon as they received the news.
According to the AC, most of the deceased have not been identified yet but Gwadar administration/officials are being approached for that purpose.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti expressed deep regret and sorrow over the loss of human lives. He also extended his condolences to the families of those who died in the accident.
The chief minister instructed the officials to provide the best medical facilities to the injured, and prayed for their speedy recovery.
National Party President Dr Abdul Malik Baloch expressed regret over the incident, describing it as tragic and painful.
Like CM Bugti, he called for the injured to given the best medical treatment possible, adding that any sort of negligence will lead to further damage.
“Speeding buses and single roads have claimed thousands of precious lives,” Baloch said.
He noted that there is an urgent need to construct two-way roads in Balochistan and that the government should make appropriate changes to the budget.
Baloch said that the National Party stands with the bereaved families in their hour of grief, and prayed for a speedy recovery of the injured.The injured were initially taken to Civil Hospital Basima for medical aid. Plans are underway to transfer those needing further treatment to Quetta.
The bodies of the deceased have been kept at Civil Hospital Basima for identification. Rescue operations were quickly mobilized, despite the challenging terrain.
The accident was a result of over speeding, according to the report, which said that women and children were among the deceased.
The bus was travelling from Turbat to Quetta. The bodies and the injured have been taken to the Basima Civil Hospital
Eight members of a family, including four women and three children, died after a mini jeep in which they were travelling fell into a 100-ft deep ravine in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said.
The family was on their way to Pagorai after visiting a relative in Belay Baba when the accident occurred on Monday in Shangla district, police said.
Shangla District Police Officer Imran Khan and Rescue 1122 spokesperson Rasool Khan Sharif confirmed the accident and deaths.
Sharif said four women and three children were among the deceased and the bodies were moved to the district headquarters hospital in Alpuri, the Dawn newspaper reported.
In the accident, seven members of the family died on the spot while a child succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital, he added.
Thirteen members of a family, including women and children, were killed and 9 others sustained injuries in a road accident in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Sunday.
The accident occurred in the Muzaffarghar district, some 350 km from Lahore, when a passenger van collided with a truck.
On May 18, at least 14 persons of a family, including five children, were killed and 12 injured when a mini truck in which they were travelling skidded off the road and fell into a ravine in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
On May 3, at least 20 passengers were killed and 21 others injured when a bus skidded off the strategic Karakoram Highway and plunged into a ravine, police said.
