Survivors relive the horrific tale of the accident

The accident between a passenger coach and truck claimed the lives of 58 people

SUKKUR: Zahida’s joyous trip to Swat proved short-lived. On the way back to Karachi, she unfortunately ended up in Civil Hospital, Khairpur, after a road accident at the National Highway near Pir Mungio village on Tuesday.

The accident claimed the lives of 58 people, while 19 others were critically injured. Zahida is a widow and has lived in Karachi with her two sons for the last 25 years. She had gone to Swat to see her mother and other siblings, leaving her sons with their maternal uncle in Karachi.

“I was sleeping when our coach collided head on with the truck,” she recollected to The Express Tribune at the hospital. “Something hit my head and I passed out,” she added.

Zahida complained that the driver had been over-speeding throughout the journey.



Akbarzada, a dry-fruit seller in Karachi had gone to Swat to see his relatives, accompanied by his mother, sister, brother and nephew. His mother, Jan Bano, and sister, Bilqees, have died in the accident. Akbarzada, his brother Sahibzada and nephew, Waqas, are critically injured but lucky to be alive. Waqas was lying on a bed next to his uncle, with a head injury and a fractured leg.

Another passenger who was lucky to survive was Hazrat Bibi. She had broken a leg and an arm and was being cared for in the female ward. Bibi looked like she was in immense pain and was in an almost comatose trance, apparently due to the painkillers.

Meanwhile, residents of Khairpur thronged the hospital in large numbers and were causing disruptions in the rescue work. A large contingent of police and Rangers was deployed in the hospital to keep people away from the main building. Despite these arrangements, hundreds of people had managed to enter the building.

Food, water and juices were arranged for the victims and their families by various social welfare organisations. Pictures of the deceased were displayed on the wall, where a large number of people had gathered to identify their relatives.

At the scene of the accident, a large number of people gathered to watch as the law enforcers collected the victims’ belongings into a truck. Meanwhile, the truck with which the bus had collided had spilled all the coal it was carrying onto the road.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th, 2014.