At least 40 killed as passenger coach plunges into ravine on Sherani-Zhob highway

At least 40 people were killed and eight others injured when a New Mekhtar passenger coach travelling from Quetta to Peshawar plunged into a deep ravine in the Danasar area on the Sherani–Zhob highway, near the border between Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), on Friday. According to the Medical Emergency Response Centre (MERC), 40 bodies have been recovered from the crash site, while eight injured passengers have been shifted to the Trauma Centre in Zhob. Six ambulances, 12 emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and 10 light transport vehicle (LTV) drivers were deployed as part of the rescue operation. Following reports of the crash, the district administration in Sherani, rescue teams, and ambulances were immediately dispatched to the scene. Rescue personnel from K-P also joined the operation. Sherani Deputy Commissioner Hazrat Wali Kakar said, "the injured were being rescued and shifted to nearby hospitals, while efforts to recover and transport the bodies of those killed were continuing". "The coach departed Quetta carrying 36 passengers, but additional travellers boarded en route after being transferred from another bus that had broken down," he added. Read: Rain-related incidents claim 16 lives An emergency has been declared at hospitals in Sherani and Dera Ismail Khan to ensure prompt medical treatment for the injured. The rescue operation is being conducted jointly by Rescue 1122, the Frontier Corps (FC), police, the district administration, and other relevant agencies. The difficult mountainous terrain has complicated rescue efforts, but operations remain underway. Authorities said an investigation was launched to determine the cause of the accident.

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