Tractor-coach collision near Sukkur leaves 42 dead, 17 others injured

According to the police, the deceased include 14 children and 13 women.


Afp/web Desk April 20, 2014
Rescuers use excavators to pull a tractor-trailer from a passenger bus after an accident in Sukkur. PHOTO: AFP

PANO AKIL: A passenger coach collided with a tractor on National Highway near the Sanghi area of Sukkur, leaving at least 42 people dead, Express News reported on Sunday.

Police said that 17 people were also wounded when the coach collided with the tractor pulling a trolley.

According to the police, the coach was travelling from Dera Ghazi Khan to Karachi.

The dead included 14 children and 13 women, they said.

Fida Hussain Shah, a senior police officer in Sukkur who gave the casualty figure, said the bus driver was killed on the spot while the driver of the tractor-trolley was wounded.

Police said the cause of the accident was yet not clear. Tractor-trolleys are a common form of transportation in rural areas.

All the dead and injured were riding in the bus, apart from the tractor driver.

Sharjeel Kharal, another senior police official, confirmed the incident.

Most of the injured were in critical condition and many were transferred to hospital in Karachi after initial treatment in Sukkur.

Among the dead were six members of a ten-person family travelling in the bus. Two more family members were injured while two were unhurt - Maryam Bibi, 18 and her six-year-old brother Samad.

"We were ten members of one family, six of them died and two were injured," a weeping Bibi said as she recounted the accident.

The family was travelling to visit other relatives in Karachi, she said.

Police and rescue teams reached the site of the accident soon after the incident.

Pakistan has one of the world’s worst records for fatal traffic accidents, blamed on poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

COMMENTS (15)

Malik | 10 years ago | Reply

I see a spiritual connection here

yellow devil | 10 years ago | Reply

Having driven on these roads, i have found the bus drivers to be the worst. They drive at high speeds and dangerously overtake the oncoming lane. Stricter police enforcement is needed. Judging from the vehicles involved, It is clear to assume that the tractor could not be travelling at high speeds as it does not possess the capability. The only way the bus can collide with the tractor is when its travelling at high speeds and the driver lost control. My condolences to the families.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ