MANSEHRA, Pakistan: A bus carrying about two dozen wedding guests fell into the Indus River in northern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least 18 people, officials said.
It happened in the Gilgit Baltistan region as the bus was heading to Chakwal, a city in Punjab province, government spokesman Faizullah Farqan said.
He said a search for bodies continued, and so far only one woman had been found alive and was being treated at a hospital.
Police said it was unclear what caused the crash, and officers were yet to record the lone survivor’s statement.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari offered condolences and asked rescuers to expedite efforts to find missing passengers.
Road accidents are common in Pakistan due to poor infrastructure and disregard for traffic laws and safety standards. In August, 36 people were killed and dozens of others were injured in two separate bus crashes.
Bus carrying wedding guests falls into river in northern Pakistan, killing 18
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Bus carrying wedding guests falls into river in northern Pakistan, killing 18
- Accident took place on Gilgit Baltistan region as bus was heading to Chakwal in Punjab
- So far only one woman had been found alive and was being treated at hospital, officials say
Pakistan invites Uzbek firms to run off-dock terminals at Karachi Port
- Pakistan has offered landlocked Central Asian nations access to global sea lanes via its ports
- Officials in Islamabad seek greater regional cargo flows by modernizing port infrastructure
KARACHI: Pakistan on Thursday invited Uzbek industry and trade stakeholders to consider operating dedicated off-dock terminals at Karachi Port, according to an official statement, as the country looks to expand the use of its maritime infrastructure for regional trade.
The offer was made during a visit by a 13-member delegation from Uzbekistan to the Karachi Port Trust (KPT), where officials briefed them on port infrastructure, terminal operations and logistics-related investment opportunities.
Rear Admiral Shahid Ahmed, the KPT chairman, highlighted ongoing development initiatives, rail and road connectivity and terminal operations.
“In this context, the Chairman invited Uzbek industry and trade stakeholders to consider operating dedicated off dock terminals at Karachi Port to facilitate their import and export operations,” the statement said.
Off-dock terminals are cargo handling and storage facilities located outside a port’s boundaries but connected to it by road or rail to ease congestion and support import and export operations.
The visiting delegation, led by Deputy Minister for Investment, Industry and Trade Gulamov Shokhrukh Khasanovich, also toured private terminals at Karachi Port and was briefed on the use of modern technologies at the facilities.
Pakistan has been offering landlocked Central Asian economies access to global sea lanes through its ports on the Arabian Sea and hopes to position itself as a transshipment hub by strengthening port infrastructure.
Officials say transshipment hubs enable the transfer of cargo from one vessel to another, facilitating regional and international trade and generating revenue.
As part of its port modernization drive, Pakistan has engaged Abu Dhabi Ports Group to upgrade its maritime infrastructure.
