Tragedy in Pakistan: Two Bus Crashes Claim 35 Lives in Separate Incidents

Rescue workers look for the victims and wounded passengers from the wreckage of a bus that fell into a ravine, near Kahuta, Pakistan, Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024.

Two devastating bus accidents in Pakistan on Sunday left at least 35 people dead and dozens more injured, according to officials.

The first tragedy occurred when a bus carrying Shiite Muslim pilgrims, returning from Iraq via Iran, plunged into a ravine on the Makran coastal highway in Baluchistan province. The accident, which claimed the lives of at least 12 people and injured 32 others, was caused by brake failure as the bus navigated through the Lasbela district. Local police chief Qazi Sabir confirmed the incident, and authorities are arranging to transport the bodies of the deceased to Punjab province for burial. Punjab's Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz, expressed her condolences over the tragic accident.

Just hours later, another bus accident in the Kahuta district of Punjab province resulted in the deaths of 23 people, including two women and a child, with at least seven others injured. The bus, en route to the Pakistan-administered region of Kashmir, fell from the Panna bridge into a ravine. Senior government official Sardar Waheed noted that heavy machinery was required to lift the wreckage and ensure no one was trapped beneath.

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued separate statements expressing sorrow over the incidents and urged authorities to provide the best possible medical care for the injured.

These accidents occurred just days after 28 Pakistani pilgrims lost their lives in a bus crash in neighboring Iran while en route to Iraq. The bodies of those victims were repatriated to Pakistan's Sindh province for burial on Saturday.

Thousands of Shiites journey to Iraq's holy city of Karbala to observe Arbaeen, a significant religious event marking the death of Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussein, a symbol of resistance in early Islamic history.

Bus accidents are tragically common in Pakistan, often due to driver negligence and frequent violations of traffic laws.