Nine killed, 36 injured as passenger coach overturns on Makran Coastal Highway

Balochistan chief minister expresses grief over the loss of lives and extends condolences to the bereaved families

QUETTA:

At least nine people were killed and 36 others injured when a passenger coach overturned on the Makran Coastal Highway near Gwadar in Balochistan, police said on Saturday.

The accident occurred near the Hudd Goth area of Ormara when a Karachi-bound coach travelling to Jiwani lost control and overturned due to overspeeding, according to Coastal Highway police. The vehicle belonged to a private transport company, Al Usman.

SP Aslam Bangulzai stated that preliminary investigations suggested overspeeding as the primary cause of the crash, adding that the driver lost control of the vehicle.

Rescue teams rushed to the scene and shifted the bodies and injured passengers to Ormara Tehsil Hospital. Hospital officials said several of the injured were in critical condition.

Read: 14 killed, 29 injured in Jhang road crash

Police said further investigations were underway, while details regarding the driver and the transport company were being collected.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the deaths and ordered authorities to ensure strict implementation of traffic laws and safety measures on national highways and strict monitoring of precautionary measures in view of public safety due to fog.

وزیرِ اعظم محمد شہباز شریف کا سرگودھا اور اورماڑہ کے قریب ٹریفک حادثات میں قیمتی جانوں کے ضیاع پر گہرے دکھ اور رنج کا اظہار

وزیرِ اعظم کی مرحومین کی بلندی درجات اور ان کے اہل خانہ کیلئے صبر کی دعا.

وزیرِ اعظم کی حادثات میں زخمی ہونے والی افراد کو بہترین طبی سہولیات فراہم کرنے… pic.twitter.com/XY9iWdd8Oi

— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) January 17, 2026

President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed deep sorrow over the tragic traffic accidents in Sargodha and near Ormara, lamenting the loss of precious lives in the dense fog.

صدرِ مملکت آصف علی زرداری کا سرگودھا اور اورماڑہ میں المناک ٹریفک حادثات پر اظہارِ افسوس

سرگودھا میں شدید دھند کے باعث حادثات میں قیمتی جانوں کے ضیاع پر صدرِ مملکت کا گہرے رنج کا اظہار

اورماڑہ کے قریب پیش آنے والے حادثے پر بھی صدر آصف علی زرداری کا اظہارِ افسوس

صدر کی جاں بحق… pic.twitter.com/g7Fcoq05Dp

— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) January 17, 2026

He offered condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti also expressed grief over the loss of lives and extended condolences to the bereaved families. He directed the Gwadar deputy commissioner to ensure the provision of immediate and best possible medical treatment for the injured and ordered the provision of ambulance services to transport the bodies to the victims’ native areas.

Read more: Bus plunges into ravine in Chakwal, killing five amid dense fog

The chief minister also sought a detailed report on the incident and ordered an inquiry to determine the causes of the accident. He said the provincial government stood with the affected families in this difficult time.

The Makran Coastal Highway has witnessed several serious traffic accidents in the past, with experts citing overspeeding, long-distance travel, poor road conditions in some areas and inadequate vehicle maintenance as contributing factors.