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40 killed near Pakistan's Balochistan after overcrowded, speeding bus falls into gorge
The bus was travelling from the provincial capital, Quetta, to the national capital, Islamabad. There were 48 passengers on board.
At least 40 people were killed and eight others injured after an overcrowded passenger bus plunged into a rocky ravine in south-western Pakistan on Friday, officials said.
The bus was travelling from the provincial capital, Quetta, to the national capital, Islamabad. There were 48 passengers on board, the Associated Press reported.
Pakistan bus accident kills 40
Shahid Rind, spokesperson for the Balochistan government, said the bus lost control and plunged into a ravine in Dana Sar, a remote area near the border between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
He said the vehicle was carrying not only its own passengers but also travellers from another bus that had broken down, making it overcrowded, the report said. Rind added that rescue teams were working to identify those who died in the crash.
The injured passengers were given first aid before being shifted to a government hospital in Zhob, around 75 kilometres from the accident site in Sherani district, according to a rescue agency. The bodies of those killed were also taken to the same hospital, the agency and Sherani deputy commissioner Hazrat Wali said.
"A passenger bus travelling from Quetta to Peshawar plunged into a deep ravine in the mountainous Dana Sar area... 40 people have been confirmed dead and 11 others injured," said Sanaullah Sherani, head of the Zhob district emergency centre.
"The bus fell approximately 70 to 80 feet (21 to 24 metres) into the ravine," he added.
Road accidents are common in Pakistan because of poor road conditions, weak enforcement of traffic laws and unsafe driving practices, especially in mountainous regions. In May, a minibus crashed into a bus parked along a motorway in north western Pakistan, killing 17 people and injuring five others.
In a separate incident in neighbouring Afghanistan, four people were killed and 10 others went missing after a truck carrying 22 Afghan refugees from Pakistan plunged into a river along the Kabul to Jalalabad highway, military spokesperson Wahidullah Mohammadi was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.
Reactions pour in
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the bus crash, offered condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery. He also directed the concerned authorities to ensure the injured receive the required medical care.
In a statement, Balochistan chief minister Sarfraz Bugti expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and instructed officials to provide the injured with the best possible medical treatment.
With inputs from agencies
