Head-on bus collision in Pakistan kills dozens
October 17, 2016
The head-on collision occurred at a dangerous curve in the Rahim Yar Khan district in the central Pakistani province of Punjab.
Officials said 25 people have died so far and another 69 have been injured. A police inspector told Reuters that the death toll had risen to 30.
The victims of the crash included children, college students, and women, according to police officials.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's office said he has "expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives."
Jamila Bibi, a passenger in one of the buses, was taking her 9-year-old son to school when the accident occurred. She said the driver was reckless and speeding.
"We protested and asked him to slow down," she told The Associated Press over the phone from her hospital bed. After the passengers protested, the driver reportedly said anyone who was afraid could get off the bus.
Poor roads, reckless driving and lax transport laws cause numerous fatal traffic accidents in Pakistan every year, killing up to 5,000 people according to government statistics.
rs/rc (AP, dpa, Reuters)