At least 15 killed, 10 injured in Quetta-Karachi highway accident

The passenger van was en-route to Karachi from Panjgur

QUETTA:

At least 15 people were killed and 10 injured when a high-speed passenger coach overturned on the Quetta-Karachi Highway near Uthal city of Lasbela district in Balochistan in the wee hours of Tuesday.

The van was en route to Karachi from Panjgur district when it overturned due to speeding.

Uthal Station House Office (SHO) Malik Abdul Jabbar said that the accident occurred at 2am on Tuesday when the passenger coach coming from Panjgur overturned near Vayara located 20kms from Uthal district headquarter.

The deceased included five women, three children and seven men who are yet to be identified. Among them, nine were members of the same family and residents of Panjgur.

Local police along with rescue services rushed to the site of accident and shifted bodies to District Headquarter Hospital Uthal. Later, the injured were shifted to Karachi for further treatment.

Read more: At least 198 die in Balochistan highway accidents in a year

Edhi in-charge Abdul Hakim Lassi observed that four injured persons referred to Karachi were in a critical condition.  

Balochistan Minister for Social Welfare Mir Asadullah Baloch visited the hospital and expressed sympathy with the bereaved families. He directed the hospital administration to ensure provision of better treatment to the injured.

“We stand by the families of the deceased during this hard time. The bodies have been transported to their native town and will be handed over to their heirs,” he said.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) Panjgur district worker Ulfat Baloch along with other family members was among the victims who lost their lives in the accident.

Last month, it was reported that at least 198 people had died in road accidents on the highways of Balochistan in 2020.

Majority of these accidents took place on Quetta-Karachi and Quetta-Zhob highways.

According to sources within the Medical Emergency and Response Centers (MERCs), the medics responded to 9,249 accidents along the highways and treated approximately 11,706 injured people at the 14 emergency centers recently established by the Balochistan government at N-50 and N-25 highways.

The highest number of deaths recorded in one accident was 28 that occurred at the Lakpass.

It is pertinent to mention that the incumbent Balochistan government has allotted Rs3 billion to construct more emergency response centers along every highway in the province.

Meanwhile, two ambulances and fire brigade vehicles will be available at the emergency centers whereas more basic health units will also be established near the highways.

The Balochistan Awami Party-led government is also ensuring round the clock availability of medical officers, surgeons and trained paramedical staff at every MERC to save human lives in case of deadly accidents on the national highways.

The MERCs will be connected with district hospitals to deal with emergency situations and for administrative purpose.