Lasbela coach tragedy due to ‘overspeeding’

The tragic Lasbela coach accident in which 41 passengers were perished was caused by overspeeding, the Balochistan government said on Tuesday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing a news briefing in Quetta, Balochistan government spokesperson Farah Azim Shah stated that overspeeding has been the reason for the coach accident since the passenger bus was travelling at a speed of 130 to 140 mph.

A high-level meeting was held to investigate the Bela coach accident and according to the preliminary report, overspeeding appeared to be the major cause of the accident. The government had installed tracking system in 316 buses but the trackers stopped functioning a result of coach owners failing to pay the bills. 

Farah Azim Shah, while briefing the media at the Chief Minister's Secretariat, said that the drivers of the coaches are not properly trained. She asserted that police patrolling and tracker system will be restored on highways.

Furthermore, it has been decided not to give a road permit to any coach without a tracker and that a case has been registered against the coach company responsible for the death of more than 40 passengers and the road permit of the company has also been suspended, Farah said. 

The federal government should build two-way highways in Balochistan, she added, warning the federal government that if Rs75 billion dues were not paid, the province may head for a financial crisis.

Farah furthered said that law and order expenditures account for the majority of Balochistan's budget. Consequently, the salaries of the Balochistan government's employees have not yet been paid, she added.

Reporter Esa Khan