Bus crash kills 40 in southwestern Pakistan

A speeding, overcrowded passenger bus plunged off a highway into a rocky ravine in southwestern Pakistan early Friday, killing 40 people and injuring eight others, officials said.

The bus was traveling from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it went out of control in the mountainous Dhana Sar area, near the border between the two provinces. Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, said the vehicle fell into a ravine in the remote region.

Sanaullah Sherani, head of the emergency center in Zhob district, told the AFP news agency that the bus fell about 70 to 80 feet, or 21 to 24 meters.

“A passenger bus travelling from Quetta to Peshawar plunged into a deep ravine in the mountainous Dhana Sar area,” Sherani said. “As the accident occurred in a rugged mountainous area, rescue teams faced significant difficulties during the initial phase of the operation.”

Rescue officials said the bus was carrying 48 passengers when it crashed. Rind said the vehicle was overcrowded because it had picked up passengers from another bus that had broken down along the route. Authorities were working to identify those killed.

One injured survivor told local media from his hospital bed that some passengers objected after the driver stopped to take on people from the broken-down bus, which was also headed to Peshawar. He said an argument followed and that one passenger allegedly grabbed the driver by the neck. Moments later, the driver lost control and the bus plunged into the ravine. The account could not be independently verified, and police said they were still investigating.

A police official, Mohamed Nasir, told the DPA news agency that speeding was a likely cause of the crash, but said an investigation had been launched to determine the exact reason.

Rescue teams from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa responded to the scene. Fazal Din, a rescue department spokesman, told DPA that teams were using cutters and machines to retrieve bodies and injured people from the wreckage.

Hazrat Wali Kakar, a regional government administrator, said rescuers transported the injured and the dead to nearby hospitals. Officials said the eight injured passengers received initial medical treatment at the scene before being taken to the district headquarters hospital in Zhob. The bodies of the 40 victims were also taken to a district hospital.

Shah Fahad, director general of Rescue emergency services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said his agency was working with Balochistan’s emergency services on the rescue and recovery operation. He said that if any victims are confirmed as residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, authorities will transport their bodies by ambulance to their hometowns to assist their families.

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 authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible medical care. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also expressed grief over the loss of life and ordered authorities to ensure medical treatment for those injured.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan, where officials and reports cite poor road conditions, weak enforcement of traffic laws, unsafe driving practices, speeding and poor road safety standards, particularly in mountainous areas. In May, a minibus rammed into a bus parked along a motorway in northwest Pakistan, killing 17 people and injuring five others.