At least 20 killed, 50 injured in road accident in Pakistan

Islamabad, Jun 11 (EFE).- At least 20 people died and another 50 were injured as a speeding bus overturned in southeastern Pakistan on Friday.

The accident occurred early morning in the district of Khuzdar in Balochistan province, local police spokesperson Fida Khan told EFE.

“The bus was overloaded and over speeding,” revealed Khan, adding that the vehicle was traveling between the localities of Wadh and Dadu.

A total 20 people died in the accident and 50 were injured, Ismail Bajoi of Khuzdar hospital told EFE.

The vehicle was carrying pilgrims and most of the deceased were traveling on the roof of the bus.

Pakistan has one of the highest traffic accident rates in the world owing to poor infrastructure and ill-maintained and overcrowded vehicles.

Last year at least 19 people died and another 15 were injured at a level crossing when a train rammed into a passenger bus carrying pilgrims from the Sikh minority group in the northern province of Punjab.

In 2017, at least 180 people were killed when a tanker, carrying gasoline, overturned in eastern Pakistan, making it one of the worst traffic accidents in the country.

Transport accidents also frequently involve trains in the country, given that its rail network dates back to the time when it was a colony of the British Empire, and from which it gained independence in 1947.

Earlier this week, around 62 people died as two trains collided in the province of Sindh in southern Pakistan. EFE

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