Pakistan: 40 Dead, 8 Injured In Violent Bus Crash Near Balochistan Border

At least 40 people died and eight others suffered injuries after a passenger bus travelling from Quetta to Islamabad swerved off the Sherani-Zhob highway. The vehicle fell into a deep ravine in the Danasar area near the Balochistan-Kyber Pakhtunkhwa border on Friday.

Rescue Operations Are Underway

Rescue teams from the Medical Emergency Response Centre (MERC) recovered 40 bodies from the accident site. Meanwhile, the eight people who suffered injuries were shifted to the Trauma Centre in Zhob for treatment.

The rescue team reached it with six ambulances; 12 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and 10 light transport vehicles were deployed at the scene.

An official said the bus was overcrowded as it was carrying passengers from two vehicles, an Associated Press report said. The district administration officials in Sherani, local rescue teams and ambulances responded immediately after the accident was reported, with rescue personnel from neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also joining the operation.

Sherani Deputy Commissioner Hazrat Wali Kakar said that the wounded people were being rescued and shifted to nearby hospitals, while efforts to recover and transport the bodies of those killed were continuing”.

The official mentioned that initially the bus had 36 passengers; however, additional people boarded the vehicle after their bus had broken down. Following the crash, the authorities launched an investigation to ascertain the exact cause behind the incident.

How Did The Crash Occur?

According to the rescue agency, there were 48 passengers aboard the bus which was going to Islamabad from Quetta.The bus reportedly lost control and fell into the ravine in Dana Sar, a remote area near the border of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, the Associated Press said in its report, quoting Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government.