Pakistan: Two people killed, 36 injured as a bus going to Rawalpindi falls into a ravine

Pakistan: A bus headed for Rawalpindi plunged into a ravine in the Upper Kohistan region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday night, killing two passengers and injuring 36 more, according to rescue authorities quoted by Dawn.

A spokeswoman for Rescue 1122, Abdur Rehman, said that the private company-run bus was carrying 38 people from Skardu (PoJK) to Rawalpindi. The accident happened in the Harban tehsil in Upper Kohistan, close to the Shetial region.

“36 people were hurt in the collision, and the bus driver and a passenger perished. According to Rehman, they have been sent to the hospital in the district headquarters in Chilas, Diamer.

The fatalities were identified as Sadaqat Hussain, the bus driver from Dinor, Gilgit (PoJK), and Muhammad Nadeem, a traveler from Vehari in Punjab. According to Rehman, the majority of the wounded passengers were from Skardu (PoJK), although others were from Punjab and the Besham Dandai region of Shangla. Women and children were among those hurt.

According to the Pakistani newspaper, which quoted Rehman, some of the seriously injured passengers are having surgery, while others are in stable condition.

Rehman also blamed bad road conditions, heavy cars, and rough terrain for the high number of accidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the northern regions. He went on to say that these regions are especially vulnerable to accidents because of the tiny, curving roads, erratic weather, and tired drivers.

In a similar event last month, Dawn reported that three persons, including two Pakistani army men, were killed after a landslide hit a bus on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in the Dasu district of Upper Kohistan. Two Pakistani troops and a civilian were killed when a bus headed for Hunza was struck by big stones, according to District Police Officer Mukhtiar Ahmad. Another passenger was injured.