In brief
A fatally steep crash on a mountainous road took 32 lives and left 16 injured when a bus overloaded with passengers plunged into a ravine. Preliminary reports point to a steering fault, while officials note the vehicle had taken on extra passengers from a stranded bus. Rescue efforts faced tough terrain, and leaders at the national and provincial level mourned the tragedy.
The Crash
An overcrowded passenger bus travelling from Quetta to Peshawar crashed in the Dana Sar mountain range on the border of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, plunging into a ravine about 08:00 local time. With 48 passengers aboard—including women and children—the accident left at least 32 dead and 16 injured.
Possible Causes
Investigators suspect a steering failure that caused the driver to lose control before the bus skidded off the mountain path, though formal findings are pending. Officials also warned that the bus had taken on extra passengers from another vehicle that had broken down, adding to the overcrowding problem.
Emergency Response
Rescue units and ambulances reached the scene within hours, but the rugged terrain slowed recovery efforts. Injured victims were transported to Zhob District Headquarters hospital 68km away, while bodies were identified and sent home by ambulance.
Reactions
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the loss of life. Balochistan’s Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti announced a full inquiry and pledged swift medical support for the injured. The tragedy highlights the ongoing danger of road travel in Pakistan’s mountainous regions, where reckless driving, poor road conditions and under‑maintained vehicles frequently cause fatal accidents.
