At least 40 people, including women and children, were killed after a passenger bus plunged into a ravine in Zhob, Balochistan, also leaving eight others injured.
According to police, the accident appear to be the result of a brake failure. They said the bodies and injured had been shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital.
Balochistan Chief Minister’s Adviser on Media Shahid Rind said authorities had received reports confirming 40 deaths and eight injuries. He said the accident occurred in the border region between Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, adding rescue operations had included teams from both provinces.
Reportedly, the bus was transporting passengers in excess of its capacity as travelers from another bus that had broken down earlier were also on it. Rind said the district administration and other relevant officials were conducting a detailed review to determine the exact cause of the accident. He said the Balochistan government shared the grief of the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Sanaullah Sherani, the head of the emergency center in Zhob, told AFP the bus fell approximately 70-80 feet into the ravine. He said rescue teams had faced significant difficulties during the initial phase of the operation due to the rugged mountainous terrain.
Condolences
In a statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in the incident. Separately, President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed grief and extended condolences to the victims’ families. Praying for the swift recovery of the injured, he directed the relevant departments to ensure the provision of the best possible medical facilities to the injured.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, in a post on X, expressed his grief and extended condolences to the affected families. He said he had directed the relevant departments to expedite rescue efforts, provide the best medical facilities to the injured and ensure all possible assistance for the affected families.
“The Balochistan government is standing with the affected families at this difficult time,” he said.