At Least 32 Dead in Bus Crash on Pakistan's Mountain Roads
At least 32 people have been killed and 16 others injured after an overcrowded passenger bus plunged into a ravine on Pakistan’s western mountains.
The bus was making a scheduled trip from Quetta in Balochistan toward Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when, around 08:00 local time, it derailed in the Dana Sar range, roughly midway along the highway.
Officials at Zhob Hospital reported that 48 passengers—including women and children—were aboard at the time of the crash. Though investigations are underway, early findings point to a steering malfunction that may have caused the driver to lose control before the vehicle slid off the cliff with a drop of approximately 70‑80 feet (21‑24 m).
Rescue teams struggled to access the scene because of the rugged terrain, but dozens of ambulances transported the injured and the deceased to District Headquarters Hospital in Zhob, 68 km (42 mi) away. Identified bodies will be taken back to their hometowns by ambulance for burial.
Balochistan’s Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti expressed deep sadness, declaring that an official inquiry would launch to examine why the overloaded bus was able to accept extra passengers after another vehicle had broken down. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari also sent condolences to the families affected.
The tragedy underscores a long‑standing problem on Pakistan’s roads, where reckless driving, poor road conditions and vehicle maintenance regularly result in deadly accidents. In 2024 a similar rear‑end crash took 17 pilgrims’ lives during an Eid road trip, revealing a systemic safety crisis that imports emergency response and policy reform.
