22 dead as speedy van falls into Qila Saifullah ditch
Stay tuned with 24 News HD Android App
As many as 22 people died and another injured when a speedy passenger van fell into a ditch near Akhtar Zai in Qila Saifullah District of Balochistan on Wednesday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The van was going to Loralai from Zhob when it skidded off the road and fell into the ditch near Akhtar Zai.
According to reports, 22 people including women and children died in the incident while a child received severe injuries who was shifted to a hospital for treatment.
The rescue teams rushed to the area. Besides them, Qila Saifullah deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner and others also reached the venue. The DC was of the view that due to the tough terrain it might take four or five hours to retrieve and shift the bodies. He said the dead included nine of a family.
According to AFP, the only survivor of the crash -- a 13-year-old boy -- was taken to hospital in a critical condition, said Muhammad Qasim, a senior government official in the Qila Saifullah where the accident happened.
"The driver was speeding and broke through a protective wall at a bend in the road, falling hundreds of feet into the ravine," said Qasim.
Four children aged between three and nine were among those killed, he added.
Muhammad Younus, from the provincial disaster management authority, confirmed the incident and details.
Pakistan has an appalling record of fatal road and rail accidents due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.
Reporter Doran Baloch