A passenger bus, laden with more people than it was designed for, careened off a highway and tumbled into a deep ravine in the southwestern reaches of Pakistan early Friday. Officials report 40 fatalities and eight injured in what is being characterized as one of the region's most severe road accidents recently.
The crash occurred in the Dana Sar area, a desolate stretch bordering the Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. The vehicle was reportedly en route from Quetta to Peshawar. The bus was carrying 48 individuals when it lost control, according to rescue authorities.
Accounts from the Scene
"The bus was carrying not only its own passengers but also those from another bus that had broken down, leaving the vehicle overcrowded."
This detail, cited by multiple officials, points to an intentional overloading of the vehicle. The immediate aftermath saw injured passengers receiving on-site medical attention before being transported to district hospitals. The deceased were also taken to a local hospital.
Read More: Pakistan Bus Crash: 40 Dead in Balochistan Highway Plunge
Road Accidents and Pakistan
This incident echoes past tragedies on Pakistani roads. In May, a similar accident involving a minibus colliding with a stationary bus resulted in 17 deaths and five injuries in the northwest. These recurring events highlight a persistent issue of road safety in the country.
The specifics of the crash, including the exact timing—approximately 8:00 AM local time (3:00 AM GMT)—and the state of the bus after its descent into the ravine, have been captured in images from the site. The search for identification of the victims was underway.
