Plandari-bound coaster coming from Rawalpindi falls into deep ravine near Garrari Bridge at Azad Pattan Road leaving 25 including 20 men and four women dead.  In the second accident, 11 lose life when an Iran-bound bus carrying pilgrims from Punjab falls into deep ditch at Makran coastal highway due to brake failure. President, PM, Balochistan and Punjab CMs condole loss of lives. Travel ban imposed from Iran’s Gabad to Gwadar.

GUJAR KHAN, QUETTA  -  At least 36 passengers including 11 pilgrims died while over 35 got injured in road accidents when two buses fell deep into ditches at separate locations of the Makran Coastal Highway, Balochistan, and Kahuta tehsil of Rawalpindi on Sunday.

According to the police, 25 passengers including 20 men, four women and a child, died in the Kahuta accident when a Palandri-bound mini-bus coming from Rawalpindi plunged into a ravine near Garrari Bridge at Azad Pattan Road during Sunday morning hours. Twenty-four out of 25 passengers died at the spot, the police added.

On getting information, a contingent of local police and Rescue-1122 reached the site started rescue operation. Sources said that 23 dead bodies and an injured person were shifted to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital (THQ) Kahuta, while a dead body was directly shifted to Azad Kashmir.

While talking to media at THQ Kahuta, Deputy Commissioner Sudhanoti, AJK, Omar Farooq, informed that the accident took place at 9:30am as a Palandri-bound coaster (LES-744) plunged into the deep ditch, apparently due to overspeeding, near Gararri Bridge on Azad Pattan Road. He said that 25 passengers were boarding the coaster, and 24 of them died at the spot, while one was referred to Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) in Rawalpindi after providing first-aid treatment at THQ Kahuta.

The DC further said that the body of one of the victims, identified as the conductor of the coaster, Fareed, was shifted to his native village, while 23 bodies and an injured person were transferred to THQ Kahuta.

He also said that he had reached THQ Kahuta along with DSP Palandri, Nadeem Zafar, to help the local authorities with the transfer of the bodies and their identification.

DC Farooq claimed that crash barriers were installed along the road, and the exact reason for the accident could not be ascertained so far. “The driver could have fallen asleep, or the bus brake failure could be the possible reason for the accident,” the DC assumed.

While Rescue 1122 Punjab official Usman Gujjar said, “The accident caused due to the coaster’s failed brakes.”

On the occasion, Medical Superintendent of THQ Kahuta, Dr. Samina Khan Bhatty, said that condition of the bodies and the injured were extremely bad. According to her, the entire staff of the hospital was immediately called and put on high alert right after receiving the information about the accident, maintaining that ambulances were immediately arranged from Kahuta, Kallar Syedan, and Azad Pattan to shift the bodies and injured to the hospital. Dr. Bhatty said that the only survivor, Subedar Aqseem, also succumbed to his injuries on the way to BBH.

According to the MS, out of 24 victims reached at THQ Kahuta, all of them could be identified and dispatched after extensive efforts of medical staff, local police and administration.

According to Dr. Samina, all the victims have been identified as; Ubaid, 30, resident of Penthale, Palundri; Ali Asghar, 35, resident of Kotli;  Kiran Bibi, 30 resident of Sumbale; Kamran,40, resident of Kahuta; Amroza, 40, resident of Kalar Syedan; Bashir,70, resident of Kahuta; Gull Azam, 60, resident of Rawalpindi; Jawad, 28, resident of Plundary; Sughra Inzmam, 28 resident of Plundary, 18-month old Wahaj s/o Inzmam from Plandari; bus drive Muhammad Raffaq, 30, from Kotli Sattian; Zafar resident of Plandari; Waseem Hameed, 22, resident of Kallar Syedan, and his father Muhammad Hameed, 45, residents of Kallar Syedan; Jamshaid resident of Abbottabad; Nazira Bibi w/o Jamshaid, 60, and their son Junaid, 16; Subedar Akseem, 50, Palandri, Muhammad Ilyas, 66, Rawalpindi; Khalid Mughal, 50, Rawalpindi, Umar  Farooq, 17, s/o Muhammad Khalid Mughal; Moheen Haider, 14; Abdul Wahab, 36, Rawalpindi, and Muhammad Riaz 64, Rawalpindi. The dead bodies were brought to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Kahuta.

According to Dr Bhatty, the process of identification has been completed and the most of the bodies have been handed over to the heirs.

Assistant Commissioner Kahuta, Ayusha Zafar, also confirmed the casualties of all 25 passengers, saying that one victim breathed his last while being shifted to a hospital in Rawalpindi from Kahuta THQ. She said that City Police Officer (CPO) Khalid Mahmood Hamdani also visited the accident site.

According to her, the accident could not have taken place if the safety wall along the road was properly constructed. She added that machinery was sent to the accident site to retrieve the mini-bus from the ravine.

According to the sources, the DC Rawalpindi was busy with the Pakistan-Bangladesh cricket series and could not reach the THQ Hospital and the site.

In the second accident, at least 11 people were killed and 35 injured on when an Iran-bound bus, carrying pilgrims from Punjab, overturned on the Makran coastal highway and fell into a ditch, police said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Lasbela Capt. Naveed Alam said the bus was carrying pilgrims from Iran to Punjab when it overturned near Buzzi Top as the driver lost control of the vehicle due to overspeeding.

Four passengers were still trapped inside the coach, and a crane was being used to evacuate them, SSP Alam said.

The dead and injured were said to be from Lahore and Gujranwala, according to Hakeem Lassi, Edhi in-charge Lasbela.

He added that the Army, Rescue 1122, and Edhi were conducting the rescue operation, and the injured had been shifted to the Civil Hospital, Lasbela.

The bus was carrying around 60 passengers, Ali Hassan, one of the injured passengers who belongs to Gujranwala, told the police.

Five of the injured were brought to Jam Ghulam Qadir Hospital in Hub where first aid was administered to them before being sent to Karachi, according to District Commissioner (DC) Hub Rohana Gul Kakar.

She added that one body had been brought to the Rural Health Centre in Winder.

An emergency has been imposed in hospitals in Hub to treat the injured, according to Mir Ali Hassan Zehri, Adviser on Commerce and Industries to Balochistan’s CM.

The Sindh government has also been contacted for the best possible treatment for the injured, as have authorities of the health department, he added.

Earlier this week, 28 Pakistani pilgrims were killed and 23 others injured when their bus crashed in Iran’s Yazd city, Pakistan’s envoy to Tehran had confirmed.

According to Iran’s Mehr Agency, the bus overturned at the Dehshir-Taftan checkpoint in Yazd on Tuesday night and then caught fire.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Shairf and Chief Ministers of Punjab and Balochistan expressed their grief over the accidents.

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his sympathies and sent condolences to the bereaved families. He also emphasized the need to “speed up relief activities”, as per a statement shared by his party, PPP, on X.

In a statement, the prime minister prayed “for the high ranks of the departed souls and patience for their families”. He also directed authorities to provide immediate medical aid to the injured.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also expressed “heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the families of the deceased,” while Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said that she felt “deeply saddened” by the loss of lives“. “May Allah exalt the ranks of those who died in this tragedy and grant patience to their loved ones,” she said on X.

TRAVEL BAN IMPOSED FROM IRAN’S GABAD TO GWADAR

Following the Makran road accident, Gwadar DC Hamoodur Rehman disclosed that a complete travel ban had been imposed on the movement of pilgrims from Iran’s Gabad to Gwadar for their safety, according to a statement issued by the district’s administration.

“Iran has also banned the entry of pilgrims, and, therefore, they should avoid any travel at this time,” the statement said.

This measure is aimed at improving travelling facilities for pilgrims, the statement read.

It urged pilgrims to avoid any unnecessary travel at this point.