At least 40 killed after passenger bus falls into ravine in Pakistan

At least 40 people were killed and eight others injured when a passenger bus traveling toward Peshawar plunged into a ravine after leaving the Dana Sar area of Balochistan’s Sherani district and crossing into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan region, officials said.

“According to initial reports, 40 people have been killed and eight others injured in the accident,” said a statement from Shahid Rind, an aide to the Balochistan chief minister for media and political affairs, Dawn reports. 

Sherani Deputy Commissioner Wali Khan Kakar confirmed the incident and said rescue teams and ambulances were deployed immediately after the crash. He added that rescue operations were ongoing and the injured had been transported to hospital.

The bus had originally departed Quetta with 36 passengers, but additional passengers reportedly boarded the vehicle later after transferring from another broken-down bus, according to local officials.

The Balochistan government expressed grief over the loss of life and extended condolences to the victims’ families. Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti directed relevant authorities in nearby areas to accelerate rescue and relief efforts, according to the official statement.

By Sabina Mammadli