At least 40 killed, 8 injured as passenger bus falls into ravine near Balochistan-KP border

QUETTA: At least 40 people were killed and eight others injured when a Peshawar-bound passenger bus fell into a ravine just as it left the Dana Sar area of Balochistan’s Sherani district and crossed the provincial border into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan on Friday, officials said. “According to initial reports, 40 people have been killed and eight others injured in the accident,” a statement issued by the Balochistan chief minister’s aide for media and political affairs, Shahid Rind, said. Earlier, Sherani Deputy Commissioner (DC) Wali Khan Kakar confirmed the location and other details of the incident to Dawn, saying that rescue teams from the district administration and ambulances reached the site of the accident “immediately” after the incident. Rescue efforts were ongoing, and the injured were taken to the hospital, he said. The DC said the bus left Quetta with 36 passengers, but more people boarded it midway from another bus that had broken down. The Balochistan government expressed grief over the loss of lives and extended condolences to the bereaved, the statement issued by Rind said. It added that Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti had directed the relevant departments in areas near the site of the incident to expedite rescue efforts. This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.