16 killed, over 30 injured, including newlywed Filipina, in Pakistan road accidents

At least 16 people were killed and over 30 others injured in two separate bus accidents on M2 Motorway near Chakwal and Jamshoro, rescue and motorway police officials confirmed.

In the first incident, nine people were killed and 18 others injured when a private bus overturned near the Balkassar Interchange while travelling from Rawalpindi to Lahore.

According to motorway police, the accident occurred after the front-left tyre burst, causing the driver to lose control and the vehicle to overturn.

According to a spokesperson of Chakwal Rescue 1122, the bus was heading to Lahore from Islamabad when one of its tyres burst near the Balkassar Interchange on the Islamabad-Lahore Motorway (M2). The driver lost control of the bus, causing the vehicle to fall into a ditch and overturn.

As many as nine people were killed and 18 others were injured in Chakwal after a passenger bus heading from Islamabad to Lahore veered into a ditch on the motorway near Dhok Sial, The News International reported.

As per the list issued by the rescue service, an eight-month and a one-year-old infant were among four children who lost their lives. The eldest person among the deceased was 45 years old, while the injured were aged between 16 and 55 years.

Two sisters aged 14 and two years were among the dead, while their mother was injured. A woman from Philippines, identified as Emy Dela Cruz and married in Lahore, was also among the wounded.

According to the police spokesperson, the accident happened due to the negligence of the bus driver. The injured people were taken to Kallar Kahar Trauma Centre and DHQ hospital for treatment.

In a separate incident, a passenger coach travelling from Karachi to Hyderabad collided with a truck on the M-9 Motorway in Jamshoro, killing two people and injuring eight others, including women and children, according to the rescuers. The truck’s driver and the coach’s conductor were among those who were killed in the accident.

As many as six people were killed and over 20 others were injured in the accident that happened at Darsgah Muhammad Ali on the National Highway, when a bus was carrying people going for picnic from Karachi to Keenjhar Late, overturned due to speeding. In a separate incident, three people were killed and more than 25 others injured after a passenger bus travelling from Karachi to Mansehra overturned on the National Highway in Khairpur near Tando Masti area.

Agencies