ISLAMABAD: At least 17 people were killed and seven injured on Tuesday after a speeding passenger coach collided with another bus parked on the roadside due to a breakdown on a highway in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a rescue official said.
Road accidents are common in Pakistan, where speeding, poor road safety enforcement, driver fatigue and inadequate vehicle maintenance frequently contribute to deadly crashes on highways and motorways.
Passenger buses and coaches are often involved in major accidents, particularly during overnight travel and on intercity routes.
“A speeding flying coach collided with a passenger coach parked on the roadside due to a breakdown on the Swat Expressway,” Bilal Faizi, spokesperson for Rescue 1123 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told Arab News.
“Seventeen people, including passengers from both the flying coach and the parked bus, were killed, while seven others were injured … Three of the injured are currently in the ICU and their condition is critical. The accident occurred near Rustam on the Swat Expressway.”
Rescue teams shifted the dead and injured to nearby hospitals while emergency operations continued at the site for several hours, officials said.
The Swat Expressway connects several districts in northwestern Pakistan and serves as a major route for passenger traffic between Peshawar, Mardan and the tourist region of Swat.
