Passenger bus crash kills dozens near Balochistan–Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border; FIR filed

• FIR alleges reckless driving; authorities seal company’s office• Most victims belonged to KP• Compensation announced for deceased, injured QUETTA: Police have registered an FIR over the tragic passenger coach crash that claimed dozens of lives at Dhanasar police station in Sherani district. The deceased coach driver, Babu Ustad, has also been nominated in the FIR, along with the Mekhtar Bus Company management and owners. The case has been registered under Sections 322, 320, 337-G, 279, 427 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of SHO Zulfiqar Ali. Authorities have sealed the bus company’s office and launched an investigation on the directives of Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti. Investigators have questioned several people in connection with the incident. Officials said 26 victims had been identified and their bodies dispatched to their native areas, while the identification process for the remaining victims was continuing. According to officials, most of the deceased belonged to various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while some were travelling to Islamabad and Rawalpindi. KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced compensation of Rs2 million for the families of those killed and Rs1m for each injured passenger. According to the FIR, there was an altercation between the bus driver and some passengers before the accident. The FIR states that two passengers told the driver, “When you reach Peshawar, we will not spare you.” It says the driver became enraged and replied, “If you make it safely to Peshawar, then you can decide whether or not to spare me.” However, the FIR does not mention the reasons behind the dispute that some injured passengers had described. According to the complainant, when police reached the scene, the New Mekhtar Company bus had plunged into a deep ravine. Initially, 31 people were found dead and 17 injured. One of the injured later succumbed to injuries, raising the death toll at that stage to 32. The FIR alleges that driver Babu Ustad deliberately and recklessly drove the bus in an enraged state, endangering the lives of passengers. It further states that the owners and management of the bus company also bear responsibility and have been nominated in the case in accordance with the law. Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026

QUETTA: Forty people were killed and eight others injured when a Peshawar-bound passenger bus fell into a ravine just as it left the Dhanasar area of Balochistan’s Sherani district and crossed the provincial border into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan on Friday, officials said. The number of casualties was first shared in a statement by the Balochistan chief minister’s aide for media and political affairs, Shahid Rind, who cited initial reports. It was later also confirmed by the KP Rescue 112. Rind’s statement said rescue efforts were initiated soon after the accident on Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti’s directives. “The district administrations from both provinces, rescue and other relevant departments are providing assistance to the affected persons,” the statement said on Friday morning. The statement added that the incident would be investigated to bring the facts to light. A statement by KP Rescue 1122 said teams from Zhob emergency services and Rescue 1122 reached the site soon after receiving information about the accident and carried out rescue efforts. The eight injured were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Zhob, while the bodies were initially taken to a nearby rural health centre. The bodies were later taken to Zhob DHQ, the Rescue 1122 statement said. It added that 48 passengers were aboard the bus when it fell into the ravine. Sherani Deputy Commissioner (DC) Wali Khan Kakar told Dawn that the bus left Quetta with 36 passengers, but more people from another broken-down bus boarded it midway. Condolences Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in the incident, state-run APP reported. President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed grief and extended condolences to the victims’ families. According to the Presidency, he prayed for the swift recovery of the injured and directed the relevant departments to ensure the provision of the best possible medical facilities to the injured. “The entire nation shares the grief of the affected families after this tragic incident,” the statement quoted him as saying. Balochistan CM Bugti also posted his condolence message on X, expressing grief and extending condolences. He said he had directed the relevant departments to expedite rescue efforts, provide the best medical facilities to the injured and ensure all possible assistance for the affected families. “The Balochistan government is standing with the affected families at this difficult time,” he said. Today’s incident comes around two-and-a-half months after a vehicle plunged into a deep ravine in the Nawagai Asbanr area of KP’s Lower Dir area, leaving three women dead and two people injured. Prior to that, a jeep carrying five passengers skidded off a wet, slippery road and plunged into a deep ravine in Upper Chitral in KP on March 31. As a result, three people, including a child, were killed and two others were injured. Additional input from Saleem Shahid and Manzoor Ali

Islamabad: At least 40 people, including women and children, were killed when a bus they were travelling in fell into a ravine in northwest Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday, officials said. The Peshawar-bound bus departed from Quetta in Balochistan. The accident took place after it reached Dera Ismail Khan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials said.Preliminary investigation suggests that the brakes of the bus failed, causing the driver to lose control while navigating a difficult bend on the mountainous terrain. The bus skid off the road and fell into the ravine.❗️ 40 Passengers Killed After Bus Falls into Ravine in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Dawn A further 8 people have suffered injuries, as per local authorities.: Social media pic.twitter.com/vjaTjA2ydp— RT_India (@RT_India_news) July 3, 2026 However, an investigation has been initiated to further examine the cause, officials said.“According to initial reports, 40 people have been killed and eight others injured in the accident,” said Shahid Rind, who is Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti’s aide for media and political affairs.“District administrations from both provinces, rescue and other relevant departments are providing assistance to the affected persons,” he said.125-Year-Old Gurdwara Singh Sabha Demolished In Pakistan: All About The Shrine Linked To The Singh Sabha Movement According to the 1122 rescue team, there were 48 people on board when the incident happened.The Dawn newspaper reported that 36 people were in the bus when it departed from Quetta, and the others boarded it on the way.Deputy Commissioner of Sherani district Wali Khan Kakar said identification of the deceased and those who are injured is underway.Pakistan: 6 Mining Workers Abducted At Gunpoint From Balochistan Site, Search Operation Underway Road accidents are common and often fatal in the mountainous regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because of a combination of factors like treacherous terrain, extreme weather, frequent traffic violations, poor road conditions, poor vehicle conditions and untrained drivers.President Asif Ali Zardari has directed relevant authorities “to ensure the provision of all possible and best medical facilities to the injured”, his office said in a statement, adding: “The entire nation shares equally in the grief of the affected families in this tragic incident.” (Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

QUETTA: At least 40 people were killed and eight others injured when a Peshawar-bound passenger bus fell into a ravine just as it left the Dana Sar area of Balochistan’s Sherani district and crossed the provincial border into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan on Friday, officials said. “According to initial reports, 40 people have been killed and eight others injured in the accident,” a statement issued by the Balochistan chief minister’s aide for media and political affairs, Shahid Rind, said. It added that rescue efforts were initiated soon after the incident on Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti’s directives. “District administrations from both provinces, rescue and other relevant departments are providing assistance to the affected persons,” the statement said, adding that the incident would be investigated to bring facts to light. Earlier, Sherani Deputy Commissioner (DC) Wali Khan Kakar confirmed the location and other details of the incident to Dawn, saying that the bus left Quetta with 36 passengers, but more people from another broken-down bus boarded it midway. Separately, a statement by KP Rescue 1122 said 48 passengers were aboard the bus when it fell into the ravine. It added that teams from Zhob emergency services and Rescue 1122 reached the site soon after receiving information about the accident. The eight injured people were taken to District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Zhob while the bodies were initially taken to a nearby rural health centre. The bodies were later shifted to Zhob DHQ, the Rescue 1122 statement said. It said rescue efforts were ongoing. Additional reporting by Saleem Shahid This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.

QUETTA: At least 24 people were killed when a Peshawar-bound passenger bus fell into a ravine just as it left the Dana Sar area of Balochistan’s Sherani district and crossed the provincial border into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday, according to an official. Sherani Deputy Commissioner Wali Khan Kakar confirmed these details to Dawn, saying that rescue teams from the district administration and ambulances reached the site of the accident “immediately” after the incident. This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.