Four killed as passenger van collides with dumper on Swat Motorway

Four people were killed and seven others injured when a passenger van collided with a dumper on the Swat Motorway in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) Lower Dir on Sunday, Rescue 1122 confirmed.

According to Rescue 1122, the accident occurred near Tunnel No 3 on the Swat Motorway in Malakand. Four people died at the scene while seven others were injured in the collision.

The front of the van was badly crushed in the collision; the deceased were identified as 81-year-old Faiz, 58-year-old Shaista Noor, 52-year-old Aziz Khan and 31-year-old Hamidaan Ajab, the motorway police spokesperson said.

He further added that seven people were also injured in the accident. Two of them, who sustained minor injuries, were treated at the scene, while the remaining injured were shifted to District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Batkhela for further treatment.

Rescue 1122 said medical teams from Malakand reached the site with ambulances and, along with motorway police, took part in the rescue operation. The injured were provided first aid before being transported to the hospital.

The bodies of the deceased were also shifted to DHQ Hospital Batkhela.

According to a motorway police spokesperson, the accident occurred due to the negligence and carelessness of the Hiace driver.

K-P Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives. “The bereaved families are not alone in this hour of grief; we share their sorrow,” Kundi said.

He prayed for the elevation of the ranks of those who died and urged that the injured be provided with the best possible medical treatment.

Kundi also prayed for the early recovery of those injured in the accident.

Road safety concerns persist

According to global transport data and figures attributed to the World Health Organisation, Pakistan ranks 48th globally and first in Asia for deaths in traffic accidents.

On July 3, at least 40 people were killed and eight injured when a passenger coach travelling from Quetta to Peshawar plunged into a ravine in the Danasar area of the Sherani-Zhob highway near the Balochistan-K-P border.

According to the Medical Emergency Response Centre (MERC), 40 bodies were recovered from the crash site, while the eight injured passengers were taken to hospitals in Zhob. Rescue teams from Balochistan and K-P, police, the Frontier Corps and district administration took part in the operation, which was complicated by the mountainous terrain.

Earlier, on April 25, at least 11 people were injured in another accident on the Karakoram Highway near Maira in Shangla district. Rescue 1122 said the crash occurred after nightfall and was reportedly linked to poor visibility.

The repeated accidents have highlighted concerns over road safety, particularly on highways passing through mountainous areas where poor visibility, difficult terrain and limited access to emergency medical facilities can complicate rescue efforts.