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Speeding, overcrowded bus crash in southwest Pakistan kills 40, officials say
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

International/The Apex Times/Jul 3, 7:30 AM EDT

Speeding, overcrowded bus crash in southwest Pakistan kills 40, officials say

Authorities report a passenger bus traveling from Quetta to Peshawar plunged into a rocky ravine in the mountainous border area between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa early Friday.

2 min readEditor-approved Apex article

A passenger bus traveling in southwestern Pakistan plunged from a highway into a rocky ravine early Friday, killing 40 people and injuring eight others, according to officials speaking to multiple news organizations. Authorities said the crash involved an overcrowded vehicle and that speeding was a likely factor, though police said the precise cause remained under investigation.

The bus went off the road in the remote mountainous Dana Sar (also spelled Dhana Sar) area near the border of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, local officials said. Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, said the vehicle was carrying not only its own passengers but also passengers from another bus that had broken down, contributing to overcrowding.

Regional officials said rescue teams faced major challenges because the crash occurred in rugged terrain. Hazrat Wali Kakar, a regional government administrator, said rescuers transported the injured and the dead to nearby hospitals. Sanaullah Sherani, head of the emergency center in Zhob district near the scene, said the bus fell about 70 to 80 feet into the ravine, according to reports citing AFP.

Investigators and emergency personnel said some injured survivors described events that may have occurred before the bus lost control. One survivor told local media that passengers protested after the driver stopped to pick up people from the broken-down bus, followed by an argument in which, the account said, a passenger grabbed the driver by the neck. Police said the narrative could not be independently verified and that investigations were continuing.

Police officials told reporters that speeding was likely but that they were working to determine what caused the bus to veer off the road, including conditions of the route and how the vehicle was managed while picking up additional passengers. Officials also said rescuers were working to identify those killed in the crash and confirm the total passenger count.

Local reporting indicated that the injured received initial treatment in the area before being transferred for further medical care. Authorities from both provinces were involved in the response, according to news reports describing coordination between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa rescue teams.

The incident renewed attention on road safety in Pakistan, where overloaded passenger transport and high-speed travel remain recurring issues in investigations of deadly crashes. Police said the case would proceed through local inquiry channels, including identification of victims and analysis of the bus’s route history and circumstances leading up to the crash.

Why It Matters

  • The crash’s high death toll highlights the public-safety consequences of overcrowding and speed on intercity routes in rugged areas where rescue operations are difficult.
  • Police investigations into how the bus was managed, including the decision to pick up additional passengers from a broken-down vehicle, could affect enforcement of transport regulations.
  • The need to identify victims and manage mass-casualty medical care places strain on local emergency systems and hospitals in remote districts.
  • Accident investigations often inform subsequent scrutiny of bus operating practices and compliance with safety rules, affecting costs and oversight for passenger transport providers.
  • The incident drew cross-province emergency coordination, underscoring how transport hazards in border regions require coordinated state response.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Officials said a speeding passenger bus carrying too many passengers plunged from a highway into a rocky ravine in Pakistan’s southwest early Friday.
  • The crash occurred in the mountainous Dana Sar (Dhana Sar) area near the border of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
  • Balochistan spokesperson Shahid Rind said the bus picked up passengers from another bus that had broken down, leaving it overcrowded.
  • The death toll was reported as 40, with eight injured, and rescuers transported victims to nearby hospitals.
  • Officials said the bus fell about 70 to 80 feet into the ravine, complicating rescue efforts.
  • Police said speeding was a likely cause but that the exact reason for the crash remained under investigation; one survivor’s account of a pre-crash argument was described as unverified.