QUETTA: At least 40 people were killed and eight others injured after a passenger bus travelling from Quetta to Peshawar plunged into a ravine shortly after crossing from Balochistan’s Sherani district into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan on Friday, officials said.
According to a statement issued by Balochistan Chief Minister’s aide for media and political affairs Shahid Rind, initial reports confirmed 40 fatalities and eight injuries in the accident.
The statement said rescue operations were launched immediately on the directives of Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti. District administrations from both Balochistan and KP, along with rescue teams and other relevant departments, participated in relief efforts. Authorities also announced that the incident would be investigated to determine its cause.
Sherani Deputy Commissioner Wali Khan Kakar said the bus had initially departed Quetta carrying 36 passengers. However, additional passengers boarded the vehicle en route after another bus broke down, increasing the number of people on board.
Meanwhile, KP Rescue 1122 said the bus was carrying 48 passengers when it fell into the ravine. Emergency teams from Zhob and Rescue 1122 rushed to the scene shortly after receiving reports of the crash.
The eight injured passengers were shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Zhob for treatment. The bodies of those killed were first taken to a nearby rural health centre before being transferred to Zhob DHQ Hospital. Rescue officials said recovery operations were continuing.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the tragedy and extended condolences to the bereaved families. In a post shared by the Presidency on X, he prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and directed the relevant authorities to provide them with the best possible medical care. He said the entire nation shared the grief of the affected families.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also expressed condolences in a post on X, saying he had instructed all relevant departments to accelerate rescue operations, ensure quality medical treatment for the injured and extend every possible assistance to the victims’ families. He added that the provincial government stood with the affected families during the difficult time.
The accident comes around two and a half months after a vehicle plunged into a deep ravine in the Nawagai Asbanr area of Lower Dir in KP, killing three women and injuring two others.
Earlier, on March 31, a jeep carrying five passengers skidded off a rain-soaked road and fell into a deep ravine in Upper Chitral, leaving three people, including a child, dead and two others injured.