ISLAMABAD, Jan 29 (KUNA) - At least 41 people lost their lives as a passenger coach fell into a ravine in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province on Sunday, said officials.
A senior administrative official, Assistant Commissioner Hamza Anjum told media that at least 41 people were killed after a passenger coach fell into a ravine in Balochistan's Lasbela district. The vehicle was traveling from Quetta city to Karachi city carrying around 48 passengers. "Due to speeding, the coach crashed into the pillar of a bridge while taking a U-turn near Lasbela. The vehicle subsequently careened into a ravine and then caught fire," said Anjum. The official further said that three people, including a child and a woman were rescued alive but one of the injured persons succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital. The official expressed fear that the number of deaths could further increase to 48. He said that the bodies recovered from the wrecked bus were unidentifiable and DNA testing will be done for the identification of the deceased.
Earlier last year, at least 22 people, including nine members of the same family, were killed when a passenger van fell into a ravine near Qila Saifullah district of Balochistan province. A report by the World Health Organization in 2018 estimated that over 27,000 people were killed in the year in road accidents across the country. (end) sbk.aa