At least 32 people were killed and 16 others injured after an overcrowded passenger bus plunged into a ravine in south‑western Pakistan.
The bus was en route from Quetta to Peshawar when it crashed in the Dana Sar mountain range, straddling the border between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, at about 08:00 local time (03:00 GMT) on Friday.
A government official at Zhob Hospital confirmed that a total of 48 people—men, women and children—had boarded the vehicle when the accident occurred.
While the investigation is still underway, early reports suggest a steering fault may have caused the driver to lose control and the bus to skid off the roadside, falling 70–80 feet (21–24 m) into the ravine.
Photographs from the scene showed the badly damaged bus torn apart as it settled at the bottom of the ravine.
Victims were transported to District Headquarters Hospital in Zhob, about 68 km (42 miles) from the crash site. Ambulances also moved identified bodies to the families’ hometowns.
“The bus fell approximately 70 to 80 feet into the ravine,” said Sanaullah Sherani, head of the district’s emergency service, to AFP.
Dozens of emergency responders and ambulances assembled, but rescue and recovery ops were hampered by the rugged terrain.
The bus had been overcrowded after picking up extra passengers from a broken‑down vehicle, according to a spokesperson for Balochistan’s chief minister.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued statements of sorrow. Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti posted on X that he was “deeply saddened” and that an inquiry had been ordered.
Fatal road accidents are common across Pakistan, often attributed to reckless driving, poor road conditions and poorly maintained vehicles.
In 2024, at least 17 pilgrims were killed and 40 were injured when a bus fell into a ravine en route to Balochistan for EID celebrations.
