DIAMER  -  At least six people were killed and 17 others were injured on Sun­day when a bus carrying tourists plunged into a ravine on the Kara­koram Highway near the Thalichi area in Gilgit Baltistan’s Diamer dis­trict, officials said. Diamer Rescue 1122 District Coordinator Shaukat Riaz confirmed the death toll and the number of injured to media.

Meanwhile, Diamer Senior Super­intendent of Police (SSP) Muham­mad Ayaz told media that the de­ceased included three women, a child and a man.

He further said that the vehicle was heading to Gilgit from Lahore. Local residents aided rescue efforts, fol­lowing which the injured were shift­ed to a local hospital, the SSP said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheh­baz Sharif expressed deep grief and sorrow over the lives lost in the ac­cident. He also ordered an inquiry to ascertain the facts leading to the fatal accident. The premier direct­ed the relevant authorities to un­dertake immediate relief activities, while also directing federal depart­ments to lend their assistance.

He directed authorities to provide medical treatment to those injured and also prayed for their early re­covery. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in the accident. He condoled the be­reaved families of the bus passen­gers and also prayed for the early recovery of the injured. The foreign minister further stressed the need for preparing a strategy to avert such incidents in the future.

Earlier this month, five tourists were killed and 13 were injured in two traffic accidents in GB’s Hunza — when a van fell into a ravine and another crashed into a mountain.

Last month, eight people, includ­ing two children, were killed and 17 others received injuries when a Datsun vehicle going to Chitral from Upper Dir plunged into a ravine.

The same month, nine people were killed while 18 others were injured after a coaster fell into a ravine in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Ramshackle highways, lax safety measures and reckless driving con­tribute to Pakistan’s dire road safe­ty record. Passenger buses are fre­quently crammed to capacity and seatbelts are not commonly worn or simply non-existent, meaning high death tolls from single-vehicle ac­cidents are common. According to World Health Organisation estimates, more than 27,000 people were killed on Pakistan’s roads in 2018.