(Reuters) — At least 39 people were killed and several others were injured when a bus collided with a vehicle pulling a trailer on the National Highway in southern Pakistan early on Sunday (April 20), local media reported.
The bus was travelling from Dera Ghazi Khan in the central Punjab province to the port city ofKarachi when it hit the vehicle coming from the opposite direction, security personnel said.
The bus was carrying more than 50 passengers when it lost control and collided head-on, rescue officials added.
Rescue workers had to break windows and cut through the crushed body of the bus to bring out the injured trapped inside.
The driver and conductor of the bus were also killed in the accident. Police said the collision likely occurred due to negligence of the bus driver who tried to overtake the vehicle on the wrong side of the road.
The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Pakistan has one of the world’s worst records for fatal traffic accidents, blamed on poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.
Traffic police officials blame 90 percent of the accidents in the country on human error.
- Children were among those injured in a bus accident in Pakistan where at least 39 were killed on Sunday, April 20. (Photo grabbed from Reuters video)