14 members of a Pakistani family killed as bus plunges into ditch

At least 14 people were killed when a mini lorry carrying a Pakistani family plunged into a ditch due to brake failure, the rescue service said on Saturday.

The incident took place in the Khushab district of the central Punjab province early on Saturday. The vehicle was carrying members of a family who were travelling to a neighbouring district for work.

"At least 14 people, including five children and two women, were killed in the accident," Usman Haider, a spokesperson for the local rescue service, said.

The death toll is feared to rise as at least eight people were in critical condition. Haider said the driver was speeding, and the accident occurred due to brake failure. He added that the vehicle was carrying 26 people.

The rescue officials stated that the deceased belonged to the same family, and were travelling from Bannu to Wadi Soon in Khushab when the accident occurred.

The eyewitnesses said that the driver took a sharp turn when the vehicle was at high speed and skidded off the road into the ravine.

Furthermore, the rescue teams have reached at the spot and the dead bodies and injured are being shifted to the HQ Hospital.

Balochistan accident

In a separate incident, at least 18 people were killed and around 50 injured in an accident occurred with a truck carrying pilgrims to Shah Noorani shrine near Hub area of Balochistan. As per details, the truck carrying pilgrims was on its way to Shah Noorani shrine from Karachi when it fell into ravine.

"The road mishap claimed 17 lives while the incident has left 40 injured, some of them critical,” Shahid Rind Spokesperson Balochistan government informed.

The bodies and injured were immediately brought to Karachi Trauma Centre for medicolegal proceedings and providing medical aid to the survivors.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan due to a lack of infrastructure, poorly maintained vehicles and careless driving.

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, around 9,000 road accidents are reported every year, killing more than 5,000 people.

Agencies