At least 40 people lost their lives, and eight others sustained injuries on Friday when a passenger coach fell into a deep ravine in Danasar area.
The vehicle, operated by New Mekhtar, was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar when the accident occurred on the Sherani–Zhob highway, situated near the border between Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), reports Express Tribune.
The Medical Emergency Response Centre (MERC) confirmed that 40 bodies have been retrieved from the scene of the crash. The eight survivors were moved to the Trauma Centre in Zhob for medical care.
To ensure the injured receive immediate treatment, an emergency has been declared at hospitals in Sherani and Dera Ismail Khan.
Sherani Deputy Commissioner Hazrat Wali Kakar explained that the coach initially left Quetta with 36 passengers. However, the number of people on board increased during the journey after the coach picked up additional travellers from another bus that had suffered a mechanical breakdown.
A major rescue mission was mobilised, comprising six ambulances, 12 emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and 10 light transport vehicle (LTV) drivers. The operation is being conducted as a joint effort by Rescue 1122, the Frontier Corps (FC), the police, and the district administration, with additional personnel from K-P also assisting at the site.
Authorities noted that the rugged mountainous terrain has hindered rescue activities, though work continues. An investigation is now underway to establish the cause of the fatal accident.
