Saudi Arabia expresses deep sadness over deaths in Balochistan bus accident

Isamabad: Saudi Arabia on Sunday expressed deep sadness over the death and injury of several people in a bus accident in Balochistan.

Taking to Twitter, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed sincere condolences and sympathy with the bereaved families and with the government and the people of Pakistan.

#Statement | The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the deep sadness of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the death and injury of a number of people as a result of a public transport bus accident in the Balochistan province of the Islamic Republic of #Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/nsSB02PKf5

— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) January 29, 2023

At least 44 people died and four others were wounded in an accident after a passenger plunged into a ravine and caught fire near the Chinki stop in the Bela area of the Lasbela district on Sunday.

According to a private news channel, the accident took place in the early hours of Sunday as the bus was on the route from Quetta to Karachi.

The Bela Assistant Commissioner Hamza Anjum Nadeem said there were 48 passengers on board the ill-fated bus, the said number of bodies and injured passengers have been taken out, so far.

He stated: “The rescue operation is underway, the deceased and injured had been shifted to the Civil Hospital, Lasbela”.

The identities of the victims and injured are yet to be ascertained.

Meanwhile, the police said that the accident happened due to over-speeding as the bus went out of the driver’s control and was careened into the ravine that resulted in a fire.

They said that teams of the fire brigade, rescue services, and law enforcement agencies’ personnel arrived at the site of the accident and launched a rescue operation.

Efforts to completely douse the blaze were underway, they added.