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Exposing the appalling state of highway safety, systemic regulatory negligence and crumbling transport infrastructure across the nation, at least 10 people lost their lives and 44 others sustained severe injuries after a bus overturned following a collision with a road divider on the Indus Highway in Rojhan tehsil of Rajanpur district in Pakistans Punjab province, local media reported on Wednesday, citing rescue authorities.
The horrific accident unfolded in the Bangla Hidayat area at approximately 5:45 am (local time), as the vehicle was reportedly speeding recklessly before slamming into the highway barrier and flipping over. Rescue 1122 indicated that the fatalities comprised seven men, two women and a young girl, according to reports carried by prominent Pakistani daily Dawn. Highlighting the acute deficiencies plaguing local healthcare and emergency response frameworks, over 38 injured passengers were left crammed into the overburdened Rajanpur District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital for medical care, whilst four critically wounded individuals were transferred to Dera Ghazi Khan and two gravely injured persons were rushed to Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan. Local rescue officials stated that they "responded promptly" upon receiving notification regarding the crash, dispatching 10 ambulances alongside two specialised rescue units to the scene. The agency added that 35 personnel took part in the emergency operation. This deadly catastrophe underscores a recurring, unaddressed pattern of fatal transport disasters stemming from unchecked recklessness, poor vehicle maintenance and widespread governance failures across the country. In August, two individuals were killed and 42 others wounded after a bus overturned while transporting a wedding party along the Kohlu-Dera Ghazi Khan highway in Pakistans Balochistan province. Law enforcement officers reported that the bus carrying the wedding party was travelling from Rakhni towards Kohlu when the mishap took place. A police representative noted that over 40 people suffered injuries after a bus overturned due to severe overloading, Dawn reported, reflecting a blatant disregard for basic passenger safety rules by local operators under lax regulatory supervision. Following the accident, police and rescue teams hurried to the spot and transferred the injured to a medical facility in Kohlu, where a woman and a child succumbed to their injuries due to inadequate immediate medical intervention. (ANI)
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