At least 11 people, including four women, lost their lives in two separate road accidents in northwestern Pakistan, highlighting the growing road safety crisis in the country.
Tragedy in Shangla and Malakand
According to police reports, six members of a family were killed when their car skidded off a slippery road and plunged into a canal in Malak Khel Kotke, Shangla district. Heavy rains had made the roads treacherous, leading to fatal accidents in the mountainous region bordering Swat and Mansehra districts.
In a separate incident, a car fell into a canal in Dargai tehsil, Malakand district, near Khatko Shah Afghan refugee camp. Five members of a family, including four women, were killed in the tragic mishap. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Mohammad Asim Khan confirmed that the wet road conditions caused by continuous rainfall led to the accident. The deceased have been shifted to a local hospital, and their families have been informed.
Fatal Bus Collision in Balochistan
In another tragic road accident, six people were killed and 20 others sustained serious injuries when two passenger buses collided head-on in Kalat, Balochistan. One bus was traveling from Quetta to Karachi, while the other was en route to Quetta. Levies forces confirmed that the injured and deceased were transported to Kalat Hospital for medical assistance. Authorities are yet to determine the exact cause of the crash, though poor road conditions and reckless driving are frequently cited factors in such incidents.
Pakistan’s Worsening Road Safety Crisis
Road accidents have become a pressing concern in Pakistan, with alarming statistics pointing to systemic failures in traffic management and infrastructure. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 5,608 people lost their lives in road accidents nationwide in 2021. In urban centers like Karachi, traffic-related fatalities have surged, with 500 people killed and 4,879 injured in 2024 alone.
To address these concerns, the Sindh government recently restricted the entry of heavy vehicles into Karachi during daytime hours and mandated fitness certificates for all large commercial vehicles. However, rights activists argue that these measures are insufficient and stress the need for stricter enforcement of traffic laws, improved road conditions, and comprehensive driver safety awareness programs to prevent further tragedies.
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