11 pilgrims among 40 killed in two bus mishaps in Pakistan
Islamabad/Karachi, August 25
At least 40 people, including 11 Shia Muslim pilgrims, were killed and several others injured in two separate bus accidents in Pakistan on Sunday, officials said.
The first accident occurred when a bus carrying around 70 pilgrims returning from Iraq through Iran overturned on the Makran coastal highway and fell into a ditch, police said.
At least 11 people were killed and 35 others injured in the accident in Balochistan province, over 100 km from Karachi.
The Makran Coastal Highway is a 653-km national highway that extends along Pakistan’s Arabian Sea coast from Karachi in Sindh province to Gwadar in Balochistan province.
Most of the passengers were from Lahore or Gujranwala, according to police sources. The driver apparently lost control of the bus, which first overturned and then fell into the ravine, police said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Lasbela Capt. Naveed Alam said the bus was carrying pilgrims from Iran to Punjab when it overturned near Buzzi Top on the coastal highway as the driver lost control of the vehicle due to overspeeding.
Hours later, 29 people were killed and three others injured when a coaster bus carrying 30 people fell into a ditch in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, said Qamar Nadeem of Edhi Foundation, which runs the largest private ambulance service.
The accident took place on the Girari Bridge, Kahuta, some 400 km from Lahore, when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle due to the failure of brakes.
According to Rescue 1122, the dead include 23 men, five women and one child.
