At least 32 people have died, and 16 others were injured after an overcrowded passenger bus plunged into a ravine in south-western Pakistan on Friday, officials said.
The bus was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar when it crashed in the Dana Sar mountain range, near the border between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, at about 8:00 a.m. local time.
A government official at Zhob Hospital reported that 48 people, including women and children, were on board when the accident happened.
Authorities said the cause of the crash is still under investigation. However, early findings suggest the driver may have lost control after the bus developed a steering fault before skidding off the mountain road.
Images from the scene showed the bus badly damaged at the bottom of the ravine after falling about 70 to 80 feet.
“The bus fell approximately 70 to 80 feet into the ravine,” Sanaullah Sherani, head of Zhob district’s emergency service, told AFP.
Emergency workers and ambulances rushed to the scene, but rescue efforts were slowed by the rough terrain. The injured were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Zhob, about 68 kilometres from the crash site, while the bodies of those who died were also moved there for identification before being returned to their families.
Shahid Rind, spokesperson for the Balochistan chief minister, said preliminary information showed the bus had become overcrowded after picking up passengers from another bus that had broken down during the journey.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed their condolences to the victims’ families following the tragedy.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said he was “deeply saddened” by the accident and had ordered an investigation into what caused the crash.
“I extend my condolences to the families of the deceased and pray for the swift recovery of the injured,” Bugti said, adding that authorities had been directed to ensure those injured received immediate medical care.
Deadly road accidents remain common in Pakistan due to reckless driving, poorly maintained vehicles and damaged roads.
In 2024, at least 17 pilgrims were killed and 40 others injured when their bus plunged into a ravine while travelling to Balochistan for Eid celebrations.
