At least 26 people were killed and 46 others injured when a
passenger bus plunged into a ravine in northern Pakistan, according to a
report by AFP.
The sad incident took place on near Dhok Pathan village, some 115
kilometres (70 miles) southwest of the capital Islamabad late Wednesday.
Local police official Fazal Abbas told AFP that the bus lost control
before veering off a deep ravine.
“At least 26 people have died and 46 others were injured when a
passenger bus lost control at a slope and veered off into a deep
ravine,” the official said.
The bus was carrying members of Tableeghi Jamaat — a Sunni
evangelical group — from the northwestern town of Kohat to the eastern
city of Raiwind, near Lahore where their annual gathering was taking
place, he added.
Abbas said that most of the injured were discharged from hospital
after receiving medical treatment, but at least 10 seriously wounded
passengers were sent to Rawalpindi, a garrison city adjoining the
capital Islamabad.
Officials added that the bus was not driving on its usual route
when it crashed and was plying hilly roads after another motorway had
been closed due to dense fog and traffic.
A local government official confirmed the accident and toll.
Pakistan has one of the world’s worst records for fatal traffic
accidents, many of them blamed on poor roads, badly maintained vehicles
and reckless driving.
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