Tragedy struck Pakistan twice over as road accidents in Balochistan and Punjab killed 23 people, highlighting the perilous mix of high speeds, subpar roads, and treacherous weather that plagues the country’s highways.
Near Gwadar in Balochistan, disaster hit the Makran Coastal Highway when a passenger van from Jiwani to Karachi overturned near Ormara’s Hud Goth. Nine fatalities were reported immediately, with 36 injured in the Al Usman coach wreck. Over-speeding emerged as the culprit, per Coastal Highway Police SP Aslam Bangulzai.
Swift rescue efforts transported casualties to Ormara Tehsil Hospital, where medics battle to save lives in critical cases. The death count might rise, prompting ongoing probes into the driver and company. CM Mir Sarfraz Bugti conveyed sympathies and ordered premium healthcare plus body transport logistics.
In Punjab’s fog-shrouded Sargodha, a mini-truck’s plunge into a dry canal near Ghalapur Bangla claimed 14 lives from a 23-passenger group heading to a Faisalabad funeral from Islamabad. Motorway closures forced the detour, where low visibility proved fatal – seven died instantly, seven later.
Rescuers from THQ Hospital coordinated the aftermath, pulling survivors from the wreckage. Victims included vulnerable women and children, amplifying the heartbreak. Authorities are pushing renewed traffic safety drives, especially in fog-prone winters.
These crashes serve as grim reminders: Pakistan must invest in road upgrades, enforce speed limits rigorously, and educate drivers on visibility hazards to stem the rising tide of such preventable deaths.