In a tragic road accident in Pakistan, 17 individuals lost their lives and 16 others were injured. The accident involved a bus carrying pilgrims, which fell into a deep ravine near the Las Bela district in the Baluchistan province. The incident took place on Thursday, April 11, around 15.5 miles from a significant shrine during the Eid Al-Fitr celebrations, a major public holiday in Pakistan.
Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the provincial government, stated that the bus was en route to the revered religious site when the accident occurred on Wednesday evening, April 10. According to Rind, the driver lost control of the bus while negotiating a bend, causing the vehicle to plunge into the ravine.
Emergency services quickly transported the critically injured passengers to a hospital in the neighboring Sindh province for urgent medical attention. At the time of the accident, there were 33 people on the bus, inclusive of the driver.
Mir Sarfraz Bugti, the Chief Minister of Baluchistan, expressed his deep regret over the tragedy, particularly given its occurrence during a festive period.
The area where the accident took place is notorious for frequent traffic accidents. These incidents are often blamed on inadequate road maintenance and subpar safety standards. As Baluchistan faces substantial geographical and infrastructural challenges, it sees a higher rate of road fatalities compared to other regions.
Emergency response teams, including officials from the Levies Force, responded promptly to the accident, focusing their efforts on rescuing survivors and providing immediate medical care to prevent further loss of life.
This incident once again shines a spotlight on the ongoing road safety issues in Pakistan. Despite local authorities’ continuous efforts to improve road conditions and vehicle safety, serious accidents persist, underscoring the need for more efficient governance and infrastructure management.
Members of the community and relatives of the victims have voiced their concerns about the repeated occurrence of such accidents. They attribute these tragedies to neglected road conditions and lax safety standards and are urging the government to implement stricter safety regulations to prevent future disasters.
All passengers on the bus were residents of Thatta town in the Sindh province, with many belonging to the same family. Officials confirmed this information on Thursday after the deceased were identified at the hospital. “They were all very poor people,” Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said, adding that they were laborers traveling by truck.
Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing. Initial assessments hint that a brake failure may have been a contributing factor. The outcome of this investigation is expected to provide more understanding of the accident’s dynamics and aid in developing strategies to prevent similar incidents in the future.
