RAJANPUR: At least 11 people were killed and more than 30 others injured when a speeding passenger bus hit a road divider and overturned in Rajanpur district of Punjab on Wednesday, an official said.
The bus was travelling from Karachi to Dera Ghazi Khan when the accident occurred on a section of the highway where construction work was underway, according to a spokesperson for Rescue 1122.
Citing eyewitnesses, the spokesperson said overspeeding was suspected to have caused the crash.
“Eight passengers died on the spot while three others succumbed to their injuries in hospital,” the spokesperson said, adding that several passengers were trapped inside the overturned bus.
Three injured passengers were in critical condition, a rescue official said.
Nineteen injured people were taken to nearby hospitals, while another 12 with minor injuries received medical assistance at the scene.
Rescue 1122 and police teams shifted the dead and injured persons to District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Rajanpur, where an emergency was declared. The deceased included women and children, rescue agencies said.
The doctors at the hospital said six of the injured were in critical condition and four of them have been referred to Rahim Yar Khan.
“Among 39 injured, 13 have been in a precarious condition,” according to officials.
The accident took place near Sitara Pump in Bangla Hidyat on Indus Highway.