20 killed as van falls into water-filled ditch
8 women, 10 kids among dead in accident on floodweakened highway
Avan fell into a waterfilled ditch in Pakistan’s flood-hit south, killing 20 passengers — mostly women and children — and injuring 13 others overnight, police said yesterday.
The accident on a floodweakened highway took place in Sindh province on Indus Highway. The road had been dredged in several places to drain out floodwater, but has not been repaired months later.
Unable to see
Late Thursday in Sindh province, the bus “fell into a water-filled ditch on a road swept away by floods this summer”, local police official Khadim Hussain told AFP.
“The driver could not see the diversion sign on the road and so the van plunged into a 25-feet deep ditch.”
Impoverished Pakistan is struggling to recover from record-breaking flooding, which killed more than 1,700 people and damaged roads and bridges.
Police officer Imran Qureshi said the van was bringing passengers from Khairpur district to a famous Sufi shrine in Sehwan.
He said 13 of the passengers were rescued and moved to a nearby hospital.
Hospital officials said eight women and 10 children, ages 10 to 15, were among the dead. Two of the injured were said to be in critical condition.