Peshawar: At least 20 people were killed after a passenger bus skidded off a mountainous terrain and plunged into a ravine in the Gilgit-Baltistan area of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Friday, according to authorities. The bus was reportedly on its way from Punjab's province of Rawalpindi to Hunza when the driver lost control of the vehicle on the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan's Diamer district.
There were 38 passengers aboard the bus, according to police. At least 21 people, who were injured in the incident, have been moved to a hospital in Chilas, according to one official. Rescue efforts are in progress and the dead bodies, including those of three women, are being shifted to the hospital, the official said.
Diamer district rescue officer Shoukat Riaz said the bus belonged to a private company, Dawn reported. The accident took place at around 5:30 am, he said, adding that the number of injured people was initially 35 but several people succumbed to their injuries. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his grief on the loss of lives and conveyed his sympathies to the families of the victims.
A source said the death toll was expected to rise further as many of the injured were in critical condition. Gilgit Baltistan Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan also expressed condolences over the incident and directed the administration to provide immediate medical aid to the injured. An emergency was also declared at the Chilas Hospital after the road mishap.
Diamer Deputy Commissioner Fayyaz Ahmed told Geo News that the condition of at least five injured passengers is serious, while two have been shifted to Gilgit city. “Rescue operation, in which army helicopters also participated, has been completed in the affected area,” he said.
Bus accidents common in Pakistan
Earlier last month, a truck carrying pilgrims fell into a deep ravine in Balochistan's Hub district, killing 17 people and injuring more than 30 others, police said on Thursday. The pilgrims were going to pay homage at the remote Muslim Sufi shrine Shah Noorani in the Khuzdar district of Balochistan when the mishap occurred.
A police official said the accident occurred due to a sharp turn during the drive, Geo News reported. The driver of the truck, Karim Baksh — who was also injured in the incident — was taken into custody. "More than 70 people had left for the pilgrimage from Makli's Qasim Jokhio village," the official told reporters.
It should be mentioned here that road accidents are common in Pakistan and claim numerous lives on a daily basis. Poor roads, lack of safety awareness and blatant disregard for traffic rules often cause fatal accidents in Pakistan.
In February, at least 10 people were killed and 15 injured when an overspeeding bus they were travelling fell into a ravine in northwest Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The driver lost control while negotiating a sharp turn due to overspeeding and fell into a deep gorge, police said.
In December of last year, a bus carrying pilgrims caught fire on its way from Shah Noorani shrine in Balochistan's Khuzdar to Karachi killing at least one passenger and injuring several others. The accident took place after the vehicle's engine heated up due to speeding and ignited flames.
