A horrific road accident in Pakistan left at least 40 people dead on Friday after an overcrowded passenger bus veered off a mountain road and plunged into a deep ravine in the southwestern Balochistan province — one of the deadliest crashes the country has seen in recent months.
The accident took place in Dhana Sar, a border area between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, located within Sherani district.
Rescue official Usman Sadozai told The Media Line that the bus had been making its way from Quetta to Peshawar when it left the road and dropped into the ravine below. He added that at least eight passengers survived but sustained injuries, with several of them reported to be in critical condition.
Getting to the crash site proved to be a major obstacle for emergency responders, as the bus had fallen into a deep ravine surrounded by steep, rugged mountain terrain that made access extremely difficult.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind told The Media Line that once authorities were notified of the crash, rescue teams were immediately sent out from Sherani, Zhob, and Dera Ismail Khan.
Rind noted that district administrations, rescue agencies, and other relevant departments across both provinces were coordinating efforts to help those affected and get medical care to the injured as quickly as possible. In response to the disaster, hospitals in Sherani and Zhob declared a state of emergency to prepare for incoming patients.
According to early information shared by Rind, the bus was carrying more passengers than it was meant to hold. Preliminary reports indicated the vehicle had picked up riders from a separate passenger coach that had broken down along the route, leaving the bus dangerously overcrowded at the time of the crash.
Dhana Sar sits within Balochistan’s Sherani district, roughly 250 miles northeast of Quetta. The route through Dhana Sar serves as part of the most direct highway connecting Quetta with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and onward to Islamabad. The road winds through difficult mountain terrain, with steep ravines running alongside much of the highway, making it one of the most treacherous stretches for drivers in the entire region.
