ZCZC
BFF-31
PAKISTAN-ACCIDENT-ROAD
Pakistan bus crashes kill at least 24 people
ISLAMABAD, March 9, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – At least 24 people were killed and
dozens injured in two separate bus crashes in northern Pakistan, officials
confirmed Monday, the latest fatal incidents on the country’s notoriously
dangerous roads.
Officials in the northern city of Skardu said a bus headed to Rondu
district came off the road and slid into a ravine after the driver lost
control following a sharp turn.
“There were 26 passengers in the bus, 19 of them were killed on the spot
while seven others were critically injured,” local administration official
Khurram Pervazi told AFP.
A second official Ghulam Murtaza confirmed the toll.
On Sunday five people died and 17 were injured when a bus fell into a
ravine near the town of Arja, northeast of Islamabad, said local official
Abdul Hameed Kiyani.
Pakistan has one of the world’s worst records for fatal traffic accidents,
many blamed on poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.
The country’s northern mountainous areas have a particularly appalling
record with often unpaved roads along sheer cliffs setting the scene for
numerous gruesome traffic accidents over the years.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1928 hrs