Pakistan: 30 die in road accident in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
As many as 30 people were killed and 15 others were injured when a car and a passenger bus collided and plunged into a deep ravine in Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan, Geo News reported. According to police, the passenger bus was on its way to Rawalpindi when it collided head-on with a car coming from the opposite direction on Karakoram Highway.
Injured individuals moved to hospital: Police
According to media reports, the bus was headed from Gilgit to Rawalpindi when it slammed into a car that was coming from the opposite direction in the province's Shitial region. On receiving information about the accident, rescue personnel and police officers arrived at the crash site and shifted the injured people and bodies to the RHC hospital.
Gilgit Baltistan CM directs setting up a special control room
Khalid Khurshid, Gilgit Baltistan's Chief Minister, instructed authorities and all involved departments to evacuate the injured from the accident spot and provide medical assistance. Furthermore, Khurshid has directed the setting up of a special control room for better emergency response monitoring and coordination. Reportedly, the rescue teams said that they were having difficulty operating due to darkness.
Pakistan PM reacts to the crash incident
Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his sorrow over the lives lost in the accident near Gilgit Baltistan's Chillas. He offered his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the deceased, reported PTI. He also asked concerned authorities to provide the victims with all possible medical support.
Similar accident killed 41 people in Pakistan last month
In a similar incident, 41 people died on January 29 after a passenger bus in Pakistan's Balochistan fell into a ravine, news outlet Dawn reported. The accident happened in Balochistan's Lasbela district, as per the news agency. Hamza Anjum, Lasbela Assistant Commissioner, had confirmed that the coach had 48 passengers on board and was traveling to Karachi from Quetta.
Pakistan reports highest road accident deaths in Asia: Report
Pakistan reported the highest number of deaths due to road accidents in Asia, a report by The News International claimed in November last year. Notably, the nation was ranked 48th worldwide in terms of deaths by road accidents. Assistant professor at the University of Karachi's geography department, Dr. Salman Zubair, claimed that approximately 1.35 million people die yearly in road accidents.
