A passenger bus travelling from Raiwind to Chiniot plunged into a drain near Pindi Bhattian in Punjab, killing five people and injuring 40 others, rescue officials said on Thursday.
The crash happened on Kot Nakah Road. Officials said 65 passengers were on board, and all of the injured were taken to hospitals for treatment. Local residents said the dead were from Jiabagga, an area of Raiwind, and that the travellers were heading to Chiniot for a conference.
Chief minister expresses grief and orders medical care
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed grief over the deaths and extended her condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families. She directed administrative officials to make sure the injured receive the best possible medical facilities.
String of deadly road crashes across Punjab in recent weeks
The accident comes amid several fatal road crashes reported across the province in recent weeks, including the following:
- On October 21, a passenger bus hit a divider and overturned at Bangla Hidayat on the Indus Highway, killing 10 people, including seven men, two women and a young girl.
- On October 20, a speeding Toyota Corolla struck a divider and then a plot wall in Multan’s Bosan Road area, catching fire. All five young men killed were residents of Shujaabad.
- On October 15, a speeding 22-wheeler trailer hit a car from behind at a traffic signal on Allama Iqbal Road in Lahore’s Garhi Shahu area, killing 42-year-old Asim, his 35-year-old wife Huma and their 15-year-old son Talha.
- Earlier, on January 17, a truck carrying 23 people from Islamabad to Faisalabad plunged into a dry canal near the Galapur Bangla Bridge, close to Kot Momin, in dense fog. The accident killed 14 people, including six children, and injured nine others.
