At least 40 killed, 8 injured as passenger bus falls into ravine near Balochistan-KP border

QUETTA: At least 40 people were killed and eight others injured when a Peshawar-bound passenger bus fell into a ravine just as it left the Dana Sar area of Balochistan’s Sherani district and crossed the provincial border into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan on Friday, officials said. “According to initial reports, 40 people have been killed and eight others injured in the accident, ” a statement issued by the Balochistan chief minister’s aide for media and political affairs, Shahid Rind, said. Earlier, Sherani Deputy Commissioner (DC) Wali Khan Kakar confirmed the location and other details of the incident to Dawn, saying that the bus left Quetta with 36 passengers, but more people from another broken-down bus boarded it midway. Separately, a statement by KP Rescue 1122 said 48 passengers were aboard the bus when it fell into the ravine. The statement issued by Rind said rescue efforts were initiated soon after the incident on Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti’s directives. “District administrations from both provinces, rescue and other relevant departments are providing assistance to the affected persons, ” the statement said, adding that the incident would be investigated to bring facts to light. The statement said the Balochistan government extended condolences to the bereaved. Additional reporting by Saleem Shahid This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.

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