2LT International News
21 die in tragic bus `accident in northern Pakistan
Mar 11, 2020
KARACHI, Pakistan – A passenger bus plunged into a river in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, killing at least 21 people and injuring several others.
The accident occurred in the Rodu area of the Skardu district early on Monday, officials say.
The bus was traveling from the city of Rawalpindi to Skardu, a famous tourist destination located around 240 kilometers north of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.
The victims included women and children. Several people were also injured.
The cause of the accident is not yet known, and rescue workers were still working at the scene recovering the injured and the dead.
Such accidents are common in Pakistan, particularly in the mountainous north, due to careless driving, poorly maintained vehicles, and a lack of adequate infrastructure.
Some 9,000 road accidents are reported in the country every year, killing around 4,000 people, according to official statistics.
With reporting by dpa and AP
Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Republished with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036
(File photo – similar bus crash in northern Pakistan last year which killed 24 people | Credit – VOSA).
