Pakistan Disaster Kills 40 After Bus Plunges Into Ravine in Balochistan
A passenger bus plunged into a rocky ravine in southwestern Pakistan's Sherani district early on July 3, 2026, killing 40 people and injuring eight others in this Pakistan disaster. [1] The overcrowded bus was traveling from Quetta in Balochistan to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it veered off the Zhob-Sherani Highway in the Dana Sar mountainous area near the provincial border. [2] The vehicle had 48 passengers on board, including women and children, after picking up additional riders from a broken-down bus, contributing to the overcrowding. [1]
Deadly Bus Plunge in Pakistan Ravine
The bus went out of control and fell into the ravine in Dana Sar, a remote area near the border of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. [1] At least 40 people were killed and 8 others injured after a passenger bus plunged into a deep ravine in the Sherani district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province on Friday. [4] The bus was traveling from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, to Peshawar when it crashed in the mountainous Dana Sar area of Zhob. [2] An overloaded bus veered off a road and fell more than 20 metres into a ravine in western Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 40 people. [3] The bus, operated by a private intercity service, was headed to national capital Islamabad from provincial capital Quetta. [3] Local police told Xinhua that the accident occurred after the driver lost control of the bus at a bend in the hilly area when it was heading to Peshawar district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Balochistan's provincial capital of Quetta. [4]
Overcrowding and Possible Argument Preceded Crash
The bus was carrying not only its own passengers, but also passengers from another bus that had broken down, leaving the vehicle overcrowded. [1] A government official at Zhob Hospital told BBC News that a total of 48 people, including a number of women and children, had been on board when the accident happened. [5] One of the injured survivors said some passengers protested after the driver stopped to pick up people from another bus that had broken down and was also headed to Peshawar. [1] An argument followed, during which one passenger allegedly grabbed the driver by the neck, he said. [1] Moments later, the driver lost control of the bus, which plunged into the ravine, he added. [1] The account could not be independently verified and police said they are still investigating. [1] The deputy commissioner said the bus left Quetta with 36 passengers before picking up several additional passengers along the route. [4] Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for Balochistan's chief minister, said initial information showed the bus had been overcrowded after taking on additional passengers from another bus that had broken down. [5]
Challenging Rescue in Mountainous Terrain
Rescue officials said the bus was carrying 48 passengers when it crashed. [1] According to a rescue official, the accident occurred in difficult mountainous terrain and rescue teams took more than two hours to reach the site. [4] The bus fell approximately 70 to 80 feet into the ravine. [5] Eight injured passengers received initial medical treatment at the scene before being taken to the district headquarters hospital in Zhob, while the bodies of the 40 victims were transported to a district hospital, officials said. [1] The eight injured were given first aid and then moved to a government hospital in Zhob city, about 75 kilometres from the accident site in Sherani district. [3] The dead were also moved to the same hospital. [3] Officials confirmed the injured were taken to the District Headquarters hospital in Zhob, about 68km from the crash site. [5] The bodies of those killed were also taken to the hospital and following identification, will be transported to their hometowns by ambulance. [5] Shah Fahad, the director-general of rescue emergency services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said his agency was working alongside Balochistan’s emergency services in the rescue and recovery operation. [1]
Official Reactions and Condolences
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the passenger bus crash, offered condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery. [1] He directed the relevant authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible medical care. [1] The president directed authorities to ensure the best possible medical care for those wounded, and said the entire nation stands in solidarity with the affected families. [4] In a post on X, Balochistan's Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said he was "deeply saddened" to hear of the accident, and ordered an inquiry into how it had happened. [5] "I extend my condolences to the families of the deceased and pray for the swift recovery of the injured," he said, adding that immediate medical support was being provided to the injured. [5] The Balochistan provincial government expressed grief over the loss of lives and extended condolences to the bereaved families. [4]
Context of Road Accidents in Pakistan
Fatal accidents are common on Pakistan's roads - often caused by reckless driving, bad road surfaces and poorly maintained vehicles. [5] The cause of the crash is under investigation, but preliminary reports suggest a steering fault may have led the driver to lose control before skidding off the mountain range. [5]
What to watch next: Police continue investigating the survivor's account of the argument and driver control loss while authorities work to identify victims and transport bodies to hometowns.
