Badhu bus tragedy: Death toll soars to 22 as rescue work continues

Bus full of women and children skidded and plunged into a ravine while en route to a wedding ceremony.

PESHAWAR:

The death toll from Friday’s tragic bus accident in Badhu Samarbagh village rose to 22 on Saturday as rescue workers recovered more bodies a kilometre downstream from the site of the incident.

The bus full of women and children skidded and plunged into a ravine near the Budhani Bridge while en route to a wedding ceremony. Initially, 13 people were said to have died, while rescue workers continued the search operation following reports that some women and children were still missing.

“We recovered 15 dead bodies till Friday night and more bodies, including that of a woman and two minor girls, have been found near the bridge,” said Arooj Sherzai, the spokesperson for Rescue 1122. He said the search was going on to recover the missing women and children.

The police, however, said an FIR registered at Khazana police station only mentioned 13 dead at the time it was filed. Though they have received information of the recovery of 19 bodies, the death toll cannot be officially confirmed, added police officials. They said the driver of the bus didn’t die and managed to escape.



Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation Peshawar (MCP) called in army swimmers to help in the ongoing rescue mission to recover the remaining 12 people who went missing following the accident.

The search has been expanded to a 10-kilometre area down the stream. However, Rescue 1122 personnel and MCP are facing problems due to the heavy flow of water and heaps of garbage accumulated on various sides of the stream.

“We have called in army swimmers to help find the remaining missing persons,” Assistant Additional Commissioner Habibullah Arif told The Express Tribune.

Over 40 personnel of Rescue 1122, MCP and Revenue Department along with locals are participating in the rescue operation. Nets have been cast in various places across the canal to fish out the bodies while rescue boats have also been brought in to help in the search operation.

According to the spokesperson of Lady Reading Hospital, 22 people were brought to the hospital on Friday; 12 were declared dead and the 10 injured were discharged after being administered with necessary treatment.

He added some bereaved families took the deceased to their hometowns instead of the hospital.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2013.