A bus crash near the Harban area in Upper Kohistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has resulted in the death of at least 25 passengers. As the passenger bus was traveling from Gilgit to Rawalpindi, it collided with an abandoned vehicle, resulting in both vehicles plunging into a ditch.
According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred as a result of the bus driver losing control while over speeding, which caused a collision with the smaller vehicle. Local residents along with rescue officials, swiftly responded to the scene and pulled out the injured and deceased from the bus, transporting them to nearby hospitals. The condition of several of the injured passengers has been described as critical.
President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed their condolences to the bereaved families and directed officials to provide all medical facilities to those injured. Khalid Khurshid, the Chief Minister of Gilgit Baltistan, expressed his sorrow over the tragedy and immediately took steps to coordinate the emergency response. He established a special control room and issued directives for a medical team to be sent from Gilgit if necessary.
A number of road accidents have occurred in Pakistan in recent weeks, including a bus crash in Lasbela of southern Balochistan that killed 41 people last week, and a head-on collision between a van and truck on the Indus Highway in February that killed 17 people. Despite efforts to improve road safety, fatal road accidents are a persistent problem in Pakistan, where traffic regulations are frequently disregarded and many rural roads remain in poor condition.
An accident involving a passenger van in Balochistan in June of last year resulted in the death of 22 people, including nine members of one family. The continued occurrence of such devastating accidents highlights the urgent need for improvements in road safety measures and infrastructure in the country. Throughout this latest tragedy, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased and injured passengers.
