At least 17 people killed and several sustained critical injuries when a passenger bus rammed into a trailer on the Indus Highway near Kohat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Thursday.

The tragic accident took place near the tunnel on Indus Highway near Kohat. The fast-moving trailer collided with a passenger coach on the road resulting in the death of at least 17 passengers, and more than six people got injured. Both vehicles turned turtle due to the massive impact of collision.

Reportedly, the dwellers of the area, the Rescue 1122 teams in Kohat and the police officers rushed to the spot and began rescue operation.

The deceased’s bodies and injured were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital Kohat for medical attention, and according to hospital officials many of the injured, in critical state, were moved to Peshawar for treatment.

Poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving are cited as common reasons behind accidents in Pakistan. About 9,000 road accidents are reported to the police since 2011, claiming the lives of more than 4,500 people on annual average, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.