Pakistan's remote mountain ranges have once again proved to be a perilous stretch of road, as a crowded passenger bus plunged over 20 metres into a ravine, killing at least 32 people and injuring 16 others. The devastating incident occurred on Friday morning in the Dana Sar mountain range, which forms part of the border between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Eyewitnesses reported that the bus was severely overcrowded, having taken on additional passengers from another vehicle that had broken down along the way.
According to a government official at Zhob Hospital, a total of 48 people were on board the bus when it crashed, including women and children. Preliminary investigations suggest that a potential steering fault may have caused the driver to lose control, leading to the fatal accident. Photographs from the scene show the badly damaged bus lying at the bottom of the ravine.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, but rescue efforts were hampered by the treacherous terrain. The injured were transported to the District Headquarters hospital in Zhob, around 68km away, for medical attention, while the bodies of the deceased were taken there for identification before being repatriated to their hometowns.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from Pakistani officials, with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressing their deep sadness over the loss of life. Balochistan's Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has ordered an inquiry into the crash and extended his condolences to the affected families.
Tragically, such incidents are all too common on Pakistan's roads, where a combination of reckless driving, poor road maintenance, and substandard vehicles contribute to a high number of fatalities. This latest tragedy follows a similar incident earlier this year, in which at least 17 pilgrims died and 40 were injured when their bus fell into a ravine while travelling to Balochistan for Eid celebrations.