"We hear a lot about bus crashes, but they shouldn't be common."
Officials in Pakistan have stated that at least 35 people have died and dozens more injured in two bus crashes. The crashes took place only hours apart.
The first bus crash was carrying Shiite Muslim pilgrims returning from Iraq through Iran.
The bus fell from a highway into a ravine in South-West Pakistan. According to officials, the bus crash killed at least 12 people and injured 32 others.
Local police chief Qazi Sabir said the driver lost control on the Makran coastal highway. The brakes failed while passing through the Lasbela district in Balochistan province.
Authorities in Balochistan said arrangements were being made to send the bodies of the pilgrims to Punjab province for burial.
Maryam Nawaz, the Chief Minister of Punjab, expressed her condolences over the accident.
Just hours later, 23 people were killed when a bus fell into a ravine in Kahuta district in the Eastern Punjab province.
Officials stated among the dead were two women and a child. At least seven others were injured.
The bus was heading to the Pakistan-administrated disputed region of Kashmir.
Sardar Waheed, a senior government official, stated that heavy machinery was needed to lift the wreckage and ensure no one was trapped underneath.
A Pakistani military plane flew the bodies of the victims home on August 24, 2024, to be buried in the Southern Sindh province.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed “heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the families of the deceased in both accidents”.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed their condolences and sadness over the two accidents.
Both asked authorities to ensure the best medical treatment for the injured pilgrims.
Reports show that bus accidents are common in Pakistan.
Moreover, fatal vehicle accidents are also prevalent. Some state this is due to traffic rules rarely being followed and roads, particularly in many rural and mountainous areas, being in poor condition.
British Pakistani Sonia told DESIblitz:
“Road safety is a big issue in Pakistan, I visit with family a lot and there needs to be a change.”
“We hear a lot about bus crashes, but they shouldn’t be common.
“If nothing is done, these crashes and deaths will carry on happening.”
These two incidents come just days after another 28 Pakistani pilgrims died in Iran after their bus overturned and caught fire due to a faulty braking system.
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