A bus carrying dozens of pilgrims plunged into a ravine in southwest Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 18 passengers, officials said. The accident happened before dawn in a remote district in Balochistan province. “A bus carrying 59 pilgrims was returning… (after) the conclusion of a religious ceremony at a local shrine when it plunged into a ravine, killing 18 people and wounding 41 others,” senior local government official Bashir Bazai told AFP. Bazai said the driver was speeding and lost control. Officials with the local tribal police, who have a checkpost near the scene, and local health officer Sumar Khan also confirmed the crash and casualties.
Pakistan has a poor road safety record due to substandard roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.
The accident came days after more than 60 people died when a high-speed train knifed through carriages of another service that had derailed minutes earlier in Sindh province.
