For passengers nearing home after the long ride from Karachi, Wednesday morning ended in tragedy. A speeding bus hit a divider and overturned on the Indus Highway near Bangla Hidayat in Rajanpur, killing at least 10 passengers and injuring 32 others, rescue officials told Geo News.
The bus was travelling from Karachi to Dera Ghazi Khan. Rescue teams reached the scene shortly afterwards and moved the bodies and the injured to a nearby hospital.
Emergency at hospitals
An emergency was declared at the District Headquarters Hospital in Rajanpur and other nearby hospitals. On the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the Rajanpur deputy commissioner went to the site to supervise the rescue effort.
The chief minister expressed grief over the deaths, offered condolences to the bereaved families, directed officials to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured and ordered immediate action against those responsible for the crash.
A pattern on the highways
Road accidents are frequent on Pakistan's highways and motorways, often blamed on speeding, reckless driving, driver fatigue, poor vehicle maintenance and deteriorating roads. According to Geo News, the crash came a day after five residents of Shujabad were killed when a speeding car hit a divider in Multan.