At least 40 dead after ‘speeding’ bus plunged into ravine in Pakistan and burst into flames
- Emergency services pulled 40 bodies and four survivors from the wreckage
- It comes as 10 children were killed in the country after a boat capsized Sunday
- Local officials said the bus was thought to have been ‘speeding’ at the time
A passenger bus crashed into a pillar and fell off a bridge, catching fire and killing 41 people in southern Pakistan on Sunday, a government official has said.
The exact number of passengers is unclear, but it said to be between 44 and 48.
The bus was carrying passengers from Quetta in Balochistan province to Karachi in neighboring Sindh province. The accident was near the town of Bela, in Lasbela district.
Hamza Anjum Nadeem, assistant commissioner in Bela, said the bodies of 40 people, including women and children, were recovered.
In a separate incident, ten children from the age of seven to 12 were killed in northern Pakistan on Sunday after the boat they were travelling in capsized.
The burnt wreckage of the bus shows the extent of the damage in the incident, which has killed at least 41 people
The bodies of 40 people were pulled from the wreckage, along with four survivors, one of whom died shortly after
Four injured passengers were rescued, but one died soon after.
The tragedy occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning, as the bus travelled through the night between provinces.
‘The accident happened due to over-speeding and the bus crashed into the pillar of a bridge. It caught fire soon after falling (off the bridge),’ he said.
Images from the crash site showed what was left of the charred bus lying near the bridge.
Almost all of the bus was destroyed as flames rapidly engulfed the entire structure
Rescue workers at the scene early on Sunday morning managed to pull four survivors to safety
The bodies of those killed are said to be burnt beyond recognition, and have been sent for DNA testing before release to families
Clothing and possessions of those killed in the tragedy were left scattered on the ground on Sunday
Traffic accidents in Pakistan generally happen due to violation of traffic rules, resulting in the deaths of thousands every year
At least 40 people were killed when a passenger bus carrying diesel on the roof fell into a ravine and crashed
Bodies covered by white sheets were pulled from the wreckage, with debris including clothing and possessions of those aboard the bus scattered on the ground.
Nadeem said the bodies were charred beyond recognition and are being transported to Karachi for DNA sampling.
After identification, the bodies will be handed over to the victims’ relatives.
Firefighters and workers from the Lasbela Welfare Trust and the Edhi Welfare Foundation carried out the rescue operation.
The chief minister of Balochistan, Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, expressed his sorrow for the loss of life and ordered authorities to provide the best medical facilities to the injured.
Traffic accidents in Pakistan generally happen due to violation of traffic rules, resulting in the deaths of thousands every year.
It comes as at least 10 children were killed in a separate incident on Sunday when a boat carrying schoolchildren capsized in the Tanda dam in northwest Pakistan.
The children killed are understood to be between the ages of seven and 12.
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