A passenger bus carrying about 48 people plunged into a ravine in southwestern Pakistan, killing at least 32 people and injuring 16.
The bus was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar when it crashed in the Dana Sar mountain range, on the border between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, around 08:00 local time on Friday.
Preliminary reports suggest a steering fault may have caused the driver to lose control, leading to a skid off the mountain edge.
Photographs from the scene show the severely damaged bus after its fall.
The injured were transported to the District Headquarters hospital in Zhob, 68 kilometres from the crash site.
Officials confirmed the bus fell approximately 70 to 80 feet (21-24 metres) into the ravine.
Dozens of emergency responders and ambulances were deployed, but the difficult terrain hampered rescue and recovery efforts.
Bodies were taken to the hospital for identification before being transported back to hometowns by ambulance.
Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for Balochistan’s chief minister, confirmed the bus had become overcrowded after picking up passengers from a broken‑down bus.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the deaths.
Balochistan chief minister Sarfraz Bugti posted on X that he was deeply saddened and ordered an inquiry into how the accident occurred.
Fatal road accidents are common in Pakistan, often caused by reckless driving, bad road surfaces and poorly maintained vehicles.
Earlier in 2024, a similar bus accident claimed 17 lives while taking pilgrims into Balochistan for Eid celebrations.
