The bus from the town of Turbat in southern Balochistan was heading towards the provincial capital of Quetta.
Islamabad, Pakistan – At least 28 people were killed in Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan province after a bus they were traveling in fell into a ravine, officials said.
The bus from the town of Turbat in southern Balochistan was heading to the provincial capital of Quetta, about 750 km to the north, when it crashed in the mountainous region early Wednesday morning.
Noorullah Essazai, government health official in Washuk district where the incident occurred, confirmed the number of deaths to Al Jazeera, adding that a total of 54 passengers were traveling on the bus.
Some of the survivors were seriously injured, he said, and are being treated at a local hospital.
“We have eight to ten seriously injured patients and we are making arrangements to send them to Quetta by helicopter while others will be shifted to a hospital in Khuzdar,” Essazai said, referring to a town 120 km (75 miles) away.
Muhammad Ismail, a government official in Washuk, said the bus crashed into a bridge and fell into a rocky ravine. The bus driver was among the dead.
In a statement, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences over the incident and asked authorities to help the injured.
“We stand with the bereaved families during this difficult time and express our sincere condolences to them,” said the statement released by the Prime Minister’s office.
In another statement, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti expressed sadness over the loss of lives in the accident.
“We share the grief of the families who have lost their loved ones. We will provide medical facilities as soon as possible to those injured in the accident,” the statement said.
Road accidents are common in Pakistan, mainly in the mountainous regions of Balochistan and in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Earlier this month, at least 20 people were killed and dozens injured when a passenger bus fell off a ravine in the country’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region.
