QUETTA: At least 40 people, including women and children, were killed and eight others injured after a passenger bus plunged into a ravine in Pakistan’s southwestern Zhob district, officials said Friday.
The crash occurred near the Dana Sar area on the Zhob-Sherani highway. Police said the bus apparently veered off the road after suffering a brake failure.
The injured, including women and children, were transported to the District Headquarters Hospital for treatment.
Shahid Rind, media adviser to the Balochistan chief minister, confirmed the death toll and said rescue operations were carried out jointly by authorities from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because the crash occurred near the provincial border.
He said personnel from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, the Health Department, the Frontier Corps, and other agencies responded to the scene.
According to preliminary findings, the bus was carrying more passengers than its capacity. Officials also said some passengers from another bus that had broken down earlier had boarded the vehicle before the crash.
Authorities are working to identify those killed and provide medical treatment to the injured. An investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the accident.
Meanwhile, Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the tragedy, offered condolences to the victims’ families and directed relevant authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible medical care. He said the nation stood with the bereaved families during their time of grief.
A survivor of the deadly bus crash in Pakistan’s southwestern Zhob district has alleged that the driver intentionally drove the passenger coach into a ravine following an argument with passengers, a claim that authorities have not independently verified.
In a video statement released after the crash, the injured passenger alleged that the driver had been transporting containers of Iranian diesel to Peshawar and that the fuel containers were confiscated at a checkpoint in Sherani.
The survivor claimed the confiscation led to a heated exchange between the driver and passengers. According to the passenger, the driver then deliberately steered the coach into the ravine.
The allegations have not been confirmed by authorities.
The crash, which occurred near Sherani in Zhob district, killed 40 people, including women and children, after the bus plunged into a ravine.
Sarfraz Bugti, the chief minister of Balochistan, has ordered an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Authorities have not announced an official cause of the accident, and the investigation remains underway.
