ISLAMABAD – Two devastating road accidents in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Punjab provinces have claimed at least 23 lives, spotlighting the nation’s ongoing battle with road safety amid speeding and poor visibility.
In the first tragedy, a passenger coach flipped over on the Makran Coastal Highway near Gwadar in Balochistan. The incident occurred close to Hud Goth in Ormara, where the vehicle from Jiwani to Karachi lost control and overturned. Nine passengers died on the spot, while 36 others sustained injuries.
Authorities point to excessive speed as the primary cause. ‘The driver failed to maintain control due to high velocity,’ stated SP Aslam Bangulzai of the Coastal Highway Police. Rescue teams rushed to the scene, ferrying the wounded to Ormara Tehsil Hospital, where several remain in critical condition. Officials fear the death toll may climb.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti expressed profound grief, offering condolences to the bereaved families. He directed the Gwadar Deputy Commissioner to ensure top-tier medical care for survivors and arranged ambulances to transport bodies to victims’ hometowns.
Meanwhile, in Punjab’s Sargodha district, a mini-truck plunged into a dry canal amid dense fog, killing 14 people. The crash happened near Ghalapur Bangla in Kot Momin Tehsil. The vehicle, carrying 23 passengers from Islamabad to Faisalabad for a funeral, veered off the road due to zero visibility after highways closed because of the weather.
Seven victims perished instantly, with seven more succumbing in THQ Hospital. Among the dead were women and children, all residents of Islamabad. Rescue operations swiftly recovered bodies and rushed the injured for treatment.
These back-to-back disasters have reignited calls for stricter enforcement of traffic rules, better vehicle maintenance, and awareness campaigns on weather-related driving hazards. As investigations continue, Pakistan grapples with the human cost of its perilous roads.