40 Killed in Pakistan After Bus Plunges Off Bridge, Catches Fire

Passenger buses in Pakistan are frequently crammed to capacity (Representational)

Islamabad:

At least 40 people died when a bus plunged off a bridge in southwestern Pakistan and burst into flames, a government official said Sunday.

“The dead bodies…are beyond recognition,” Hamza Anjum, a senior official of Lasbela district in Balochistan province, said at the accident site.

Anjum said three survivors had been rescued and the bus was reportedly carrying 48 passengers when it hit a pillar on the bridge and careened off course.

Ramshackle highways, lax safety measures and reckless driving contribute to Pakistan’s dire road safety record.

Passenger buses are frequently crammed to capacity and seatbelts are not commonly worn, meaning high death tolls from single vehicle accidents are common.

According to World Health Organization estimates, more than 27,000 people were killed on Pakistan’s roads in 2018.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)