24 dead, 69 hurt as bus falls in ravine

Overloaded bus was going to Raiwind when the accident took place in Kallar Kahar town

Aspeeding bus carrying more than 100 passengers fell into a ravine killing at least 24 people and injuring 69 others in Pakistan’s Punjab province, police said yesterday.

The overloaded bus was going from Kohat to Raiwind when the accident took place in Kallar Kahar town last night.

“The passengers were going to Raiwind to attend an annual religious congregation,” said Mohammad Afzal, the Station House Officer of Saddar Police Station.

Confirming that 24 people had been killed, Afzal said all passengers belonged to Kohat area, the Dawn News reported.

Thirteen of the injured were rushed to Rawalpindi because of their serious condition while many injured were shifted to nearby hospitals, the report said.

The cause of accident was not known but apparently overloading was the reason as it was carrying around 100 passengers, the police said.

The bus originally was to go to Raiwind via IslamabadLahore Motorway but it opted for another route. “The motorway is closed after 10pm due to smog and overloaded buses are fined on the motorway because of which the driver opted to go through Grand Trunk Road,” Afzal said. “The driver was unfamiliar with this area and he was driving the bus at high speed,” he said. – PTI

AFP Relatives and local residents prepare to offer funeral prayers for the victims of the bus accident in Kohat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province yesterday.