Quetta: At least 40 people were killed and 8 seriously injured in a horrific road accident that occurred in southwestern Pakistan early this morning.
The bus, which was traveling at high speed and carrying more passengers than its capacity, lost control and fell into a deep ravine.
The accident occurred in the remote area of Dana Sar, on the border of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, said Shahid Rind, spokesman for the Balochistan government.
The bus was carrying not only its own passengers but also the passengers of another bus that had broken down. As a result, the bus was carrying more people than its capacity.
In addition, the bus was traveling at high speed, and the driver lost control and fell into a ditch off the highway. As a result, many people died on the spot, while many others were seriously injured.
As soon as the information about the accident was received, rescue personnel, police and locals rushed to the spot and started rescue operations.
The remote area has hampered the rescue operations, and the work of identifying the deceased is also ongoing.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed deep grief over the incident. He has expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and has instructed the concerned authorities to provide the best medical treatment to the injured.
Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has also expressed grief over the tragedy and has directed the authorities to take steps to ensure that there is no shortage of treatment for the injured.
Road accidents are frequent in Pakistan. Experts believe that poor road conditions, lack of enforcement of traffic rules, speeding and dangerous roads in mountainous areas are the main reasons for such tragedies.
In May this year, 17 people were killed and five injured when a minibus crashed into a bus parked on a highway in northwestern Pakistan. Now, another horrific accident has occurred.