At least 12 killed as passenger bus collides with van in Balochistan's Uthal

Collision near Zero Point left 22 others injured, while rescue teams shifted the wounded to nearby hospitals

QUETTA:

At least 12 people were killed and 22 injured when a passenger bus collided with a passenger van near Zero Point in Uthal, Lasbela district of Balochistan, on Friday, police said.

Uthal District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Awais Wajid said women and children were among the dead and injured, adding that the injured had been shifted to Karachi for further treatment.

According to police, the bus was travelling from Lasbela to Karachi when the two vehicles collided near Uthal Zero Point, resulting in heavy casualties.

Police, rescue teams, district administration officials and local residents rushed to the scene following reports of the accident. The injured were initially shifted to nearby hospitals by ambulance before being referred to Karachi for further treatment.

An investigation had been launched to determine the cause of the collision. Traffic on the national highway was disrupted following the accident, with police working to restore the flow of vehicles.

Meanwhile, arrangements for the treatment of the injured and the handover of the bodies to their families were under way.

Also Read: Four killed in Bolan road accident

Balochistan has witnessed several fatal road accidents in recent months. On October 19, four people, including women and children, were killed when a Mazda truck collided with an Alto car near Darbi in Bolan district.

On October 13, four people were killed and five injured when a passenger van travelling from Quetta to Kalat collided with a truck near Badrang in Mastung district.

Earlier, in July, at least 40 passengers were killed and eight injured when a coach travelling from Quetta to Peshawar plunged into a ravine in the Dana Sar area along the Sherani-Zhob highway.

In January rescue officials said they had recorded more than 24,000 road accidents in Balochistan during 2025, resulting in over 415 deaths and nearly 30,000 injuries. The N-25 National Highway connecting Quetta and Karachi was identified as the province’s most accident-prone route.