Kandhkot: At least five people were killed and several others injured after a passenger coach carrying members of the Tablighi Jamaat overturned near Saifal in Kandhkot, Sindh, on Sunday night, according to rescue officials.
The accident occurred when the coach, reportedly travelling at high speed, went out of the driver’s control and overturned. Five passengers were killed at the scene, while several others sustained injuries.
Police and rescue teams reached the site after receiving information about the crash and began evacuating passengers. Police said the coach was travelling from Thul to Lahore.
The bodies of those killed were recovered while the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment. Officials said the identities of the deceased had not been immediately confirmed.
Rescue officials said darkness at the accident site was creating difficulties for emergency teams as they carried out the operation. Emergency measures were also put in place at relevant hospitals to manage the casualties.
Initial information indicated that speeding may have caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. However, authorities have not announced the findings of a formal investigation into the cause of the accident.
In a separate accident in Punjab’s Rahimyar Khan district, at least seven people were killed and more than 60 injured when a tractor carrying wedding guests collided with a trailer near Sardar Garh in Zahir Pir.
According to the Sheikh Zayed Hospital spokesperson, three of the injured died while receiving treatment. The remaining injured were being treated at the hospital.
The deputy commissioner said an emergency had been declared at Sheikh Zayed Hospital following the crash and directed officials to ensure medical treatment for the injured. The deputy commissioner also met affected families and visited those receiving treatment.
Rescue officials and the district administration said initial reports suggested that negligence and carelessness by the trailer driver may have contributed to the accident. Further investigation was under way.
