Pakistan: Karachi-bound bus falls into ravine in Balochistan, 41 dead
What's the story
At least 41 people were killed and several others were injured in Pakistan when a speeding passenger coach fell into a ravine in Lasbela district's Bela area in the southwestern Balochistan province in the early hours of Sunday. As per The Dawn, the bus had around 48 passengers on board at the time of the accident and was heading toward Karachi from Quetta.
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Bus rammed into bridge pillar at high speed: Report
Lasbela Assistant Commissioner Hamza Anjum told The Dawn the coach rammed into the pillar of a bridge at a high speed while taking a U-turn near Balochistan's Lasbela. It then fell into a ravine and caught on fire. "DNA testing will be done for the identification of the deceased while the injured passengers were being shifted to Civil Hospital, Lasbela," he informed Geo TV.
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17 bodies recovered so far from crash site
Anjum also told The Dawn that three individuals, including a woman and a child, were rescued alive from the debris. However, the number of casualties might rise as the rescue operations were still underway. An official of Edhi Foundation, a non-profit social welfare organization, revealed that 17 bodies have been retrieved so far from the crash site and shifted to a hospital.
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Further details on the crash
As per other media reports, the police also stated that the incident happened due to the overspeeding of the bus, with the driver losing control of the vehicle and crashing it into the ravine. Fire brigade teams, security personnel, and administrative officers reached the accident spot soon after the accident and launched rescue operations. Pakistani Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah expressed grief over the incident.
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Video of the crash from the accident spot
More than 30 people burnt alive after a passenger bus fell off a bridge and caught fire in the wee hours of Sunday. The unfortunate incident happened in Lasbela District district of Balochistan province of Pakistan. 15 charred dead, retrieved so far, are beyond recognition. pic.twitter.com/zYXjjSOHZy
— Nafees Naeem (@sarimnafees1) January 29, 2023
why-does-it-matter
Pakistan reports highest road accident deaths in Asia: Report
Pakistan reports the most number of deaths in Asia due to road accidents, a report by The News International revealed in November 2022. Moreover, the country was ranked 48th in the world for deaths in road accidents. Dr. Salman Zubair, assistant professor at the University of Karachi's geography department, said that around 1.35 million people die in road accidents worldwide yearly.