11 pilgrims die after bus plunges into ditch on Makran Coastal Highway
HUB/LASBELA: In another heart-wrenching tragedy, a bus carrying pilgrims plunged into a ditch at the Makran Coastal Highway leaving 11 dead and wounding more than 30 others, police told Geo News on Sunday.
Providing details of the accident, Lyari Station House Officer Qadir said that the pilgrims — belonging to Lahore and Gujranwala, as per the police — were returning to Punjab from Iran when their bus met the ill-fated accident due to a brake failure.
Levies, police and other departments are carrying out a rescue operation, Lasbela Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Captain (retd) Naveed Alam said, confirming the death toll and injuries.
He added that the bodies, as well as the wounded, were being shifted to nearby hospitals.
Expressing grief over the unfortunate incident, President Asif Ali Zardari has issued directions for the provision of necessary medical assistance for those injured in the accident.
Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq conveyed his condolences and prayed for speedy recovery of the wounded.
This is the second major bus accident due to brake failure this week. In the previous fatal incident, 28 Pakistani pilgrims — heading to participate in Arbaeen — lost their lives when a bus carrying them crashed into a wall and overturned due to speeding and brake failure near the Taftan-Dehshir checkpoint in Iran’s Yazd city.
The mortal remains of the victims were repatriated via a special flight on Friday.
The vehicle, with 53 passengers on board including 14 women, met with the accident on Wednesday night. At least 10 of the victims hailed from Khairpur, six belonged to Kashmore, three were from Karachi.
More to follow…
