KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over a traffic accident in the southwestern Balochistan province on Wednesday after a bus lost control and fell into a ravine, killing at least 28 people.
Fatal accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules are rarely followed and roads, particularly in many rural and mountainous areas, are in poor condition.
Such incidents are particularly common in Balochistan where single carriage roads connect various cities and even some highways lack modern safety features.
“In this difficult time, we stand with the grieving families and express our heartfelt sympathy,” Sharif was quoted as saying by a statement circulated by his office.
The statement said the prime minister instructed the relevant authorities to provide all possible medical assistance to the injured and prayed for their speedy recovery.
Speaking to Arab News, Muhammad Ismail Mengal, the assistant commissioner in Baseema, where the incident occurred, said the bus was traveling from Gwadar to Quetta.
“When it reached Kalghali in the Baseema sub-division of Balochistan’s Washuk district, one of its tires burst, causing the bus to fall down [from the mountainous highway],” he continued. “As a result, 28 people, including three women and three children, died, while 27 others were injured.”
“Four of the injured are in critical condition, for whom a Pakistan Army helicopter will arrive shortly to airlift them to Quetta,” he added. “The remaining injured have been transferred to CMH [Combined Military Hospital], Khuzdar.”
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti also expressed sorrow and regret over the incident.
“Deeply saddened by the loss of valuable lives in the bus accident,” he said. “We share the grief of the relatives of the deceased.”
PM orders medical assistance as 28 killed in bus accident in southwestern Pakistan
https://arab.news/c65wp
PM orders medical assistance as 28 killed in bus accident in southwestern Pakistan
- The incident took place in Washuk district when a Quetta-bound bus fell into a ravine after one of its tires burst
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructs the authorities to provide all possible medical assistance to the injured
At least five killed as massive fire guts dozens of shops at Pakistan mall — rescue official
- More than 20 fire trucks were busy dousing the fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza
- The cause of the fire, which injured 15 people, was not immediately known
ISLAMABAD: A massive fire tore through a multi-story shopping mall in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi late Saturday and killed at least five people, rescue officials said.
Firefighters and rescue workers rushed to Gul Plaza in Karachi’s Saddar business district upon receiving information about the blaze at around 10pm, according to a Rescue 1122 spokesman.
Television footage showed firefighters in protective gear battling the flames as several fire trucks used ladders, water cannons and hoses to douse the building’s floors, where flames shot out of windows and balconies.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
“More than 20 fire brigade trucks, water bowsers and snorkels are present at the scene and additional firefighting resources have been called in,” the spokesman said early Sunday.
“Over 20 people were injured in the fire and the death toll has now reached five.”
Police said an investigation would be launched once the blaze was extinguished. However, most structures in Karachi, and other parts of the country, lack fire prevention and firefighting systems, which often result in damages and casualties.
Authorities said the fire spread rapidly after erupting in an area of the mall where shopkeepers had stored imported garments, clothing and plastic household goods, which helped fuel the flames.
“Due to the old nature of the building, there is a risk of its collapse after being affected by the severe fire,” the Rescue 1122 spokesman said. “The operation is being carried out with extreme caution.”
Karachi is the capital of southern Sindh province, where such incidents are common. In November 2023, a fire tore through a shopping mall in the city, killing 10 people and injuring 22 others.
