Pakistani bus crashes, catches fire, killing 40 people

A passenger bus crashed into a ravine in southern Pakistan on Sunday and caught fire, killing 40 people, a government official said.

The bus carried 44 passengers from Quetta in Balochistan province to Karachi in neighboring Sindh province. The accident happened near the town of Bela, in the Lasbela district.

Hamza Anjum Nadeem, deputy commissioner in Bela, said the bodies of 40 people, including women and children, had been recovered. Four injured passengers were rescued.

“The accident happened due to excessive speed and the bus crashed into the pillar of a bridge. It caught fire just after it fell into the gorge,” he said.

Nadeem said the bodies were charred beyond recognition and being transported to Karachi for DNA sampling. After identification, the bodies are handed over to the victims’ relatives.

Firefighters and workers from Lasbela Welfare Trust and Edhi Welfare Foundation carried out the rescue operation.

Balochistan Prime Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo expressed his sadness at the loss of life and ordered the authorities to provide the best medical facilities to the injured.

Traffic accidents in Pakistan generally occur due to traffic violations, resulting in the deaths of thousands every year.