Serious traffic accidents happen again and again in Pakistan. In the southwest of the country, a coach crashes into a pillar, falls down a bridge and catches fire. Most inmates die.
At least 40 people have died in a serious bus accident in the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan. According to an official in Lasbela district, the bus fell off a bridge and immediately caught fire. Three occupants were rescued alive. In total, the bus is said to have transported 48 passengers at the time of the accident.
The bus went off the road and crashed into a bridge pillar, district administration representative Hamza Anjum said at the scene of the accident. Most of the victims were burned beyond recognition. Four people were taken to a nearby hospital with injuries.
Pakistan ranks third in the world for the number of road fatalities. Blame the numerous dilapidated roads in the country, lax controls and an often reckless driving style. Buses often take significantly more passengers than permitted.
In addition, a boat accident occurred in north-west Pakistan, in which at least ten children died. Eleven children have been rescued so far, but six of them are still in critical condition, a police official from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said.
According to this, between 25 and 30 students from a local Koran school were on the boat when it capsized on the Tanda reservoir. The children were on a day trip, the police representative said. The victims are between 7 and 14 years old.
