Pakistan bus crashes into ravine in country’s southwest, killing 22, officials say

Official says there are no survivors from the crash

Onlookers gather around the wreckage of a passenger vehicle that plunged into a deep ravine in Qila Saifullah district of Balochistan province on 8 June 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

A speeding bus in Pakistan veered off a narrow mountain road and plummeted into a ravine in a remote area of southwest Pakistan on Wednesday, killing 22 passengers, including women and children, a government official said.

The accident occurred in Baluchistan province’s Qilla Saifullah district, about 200km north of capital Quetta.

Abdul Ali, an eyewitness, told the Associated Press that he saw the bus going faster, skidding and falling into the ravine. He said people from a nearby village alerted police who rushed to the scene.

Deputy district administrator Mohammad Qasim said there were no survivors, adding that rescuers were trying to transport bodies to a nearby hospital.

Local media reports, however, said a child was injured in the accident.

Mr Qasim initially said 18 people had died in the accident, but the toll was revised after rescuers retrieved four more bodies. Relatives of the victims were going to the hospital to receive the bodies of their kin.

National newspaper Dawn said there were 23 people onboard the bus at the time.

Onlookers and rescuers gather around the wreckage of the vehicle that plunged into a deep ravine (AFP via Getty Images)

The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Officials are looking into a possible human error or mechanical issues. They have stated that the weather was fine at the time of the crash.

Pakistan’s president Arif Alvi and foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto have expressed their anguish over the accident.

A speeding bus carrying mostly labourers had rammed into a container truck in July last year, killing 33 and injuring 40 in central Pakistan.

Deadly accidents occur often in Pakistan because of poor road infrastructure and disregard for traffic laws.

Additional reporting by agencies