Two separate road accidents leave 23 dead across Pakistan

Islamabad, Jan 17 (IANS) At least 23 people were killed and dozens more injured in two separate road accidents reported from Balochistan and Punjab on Saturday, highlighting ongoing concerns over road safety, speeding, and poor visibility conditions across Pakistan. 

In the first incident, nine people lost their lives, and 36 others sustained injuries when a passenger coach overturned on the Makran Coastal Highway near Gwadar in Balochistan, as per local media reports.

According to police, the accident occurred near the Hudd Goth area of Ormara when a Karachi-bound coach, travelling from Jiwani, lost control and overturned. The vehicle belonged to a private transport company, Al Usman.

Coastal Highway police said preliminary investigations indicated overspeeding as the main cause of the crash. Superintendent of Police Aslam Bangulzai stated that the driver failed to control the vehicle due to excessive speed, resulting in the deadly accident. Rescue teams rushed to the scene soon after the incident and shifted the injured and deceased to Ormara Tehsil Hospital.

Hospital authorities confirmed that several injured passengers were in critical condition, raising fears that the death toll could rise.

Police said further investigations were underway and details regarding the driver and the transport company were being collected.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and extended condolences to the bereaved families. He directed the Gwadar deputy commissioner to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured and ordered that ambulance services be provided to transport the bodies to the victims’ native areas.

In a separate tragic incident in Punjab’s Sargodha district, at least 14 people were killed after a mini-truck plunged into a dry canal amid dense fog. The accident occurred near Ghalapur Bangla in Kot Momin tehsil, where extremely low visibility led the vehicle to veer off the road.

Rescue officials said seven people died on the spot, while another seven succumbed to their injuries during treatment at nearby hospitals.

At the time of the accident, 23 people were travelling in the truck from Islamabad to Faisalabad to attend a funeral. Due to motorway closures caused by fog, the driver had opted for a local route. Women and children were among the deceased, all of whom belonged to Islamabad.

Rescue teams carried out relief operations and shifted the bodies and injured to the THQ hospital, while authorities reiterated the need for caution during adverse weather and strict enforcement of traffic safety regulations.

--IANS

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