The accident occurred near the Hudd Goth area of Ormara when a Karachi-bound coach travelling to Jiwani lost control and overturned due to overspeeding, according to Coastal Highway police. The vehicle belonged to a private transport company, Al Usman.
SP Aslam Bangulzai stated that preliminary investigations suggested overspeeding as the primary cause of the crash, adding that the driver lost control of the vehicle.
Rescue teams rushed to the scene and shifted the bodies and injured passengers to Ormara Tehsil Hospital. Hospital officials said several of the injured were in critical condition.
Police said further investigations were underway, while details regarding the driver and the transport company were being collected.
Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti expressed grief over the loss of lives and extended condolences to the bereaved families. He directed the Gwadar deputy commissioner to ensure the provision of immediate and best possible medical treatment for the injured and ordered the provision of ambulance services to transport the bodies to the victims’ native areas.
The chief minister also sought a detailed report on the incident and ordered an inquiry to determine the causes of the accident. He said the provincial government stood with the affected families in this difficult time.
The Makran Coastal Highway has witnessed several serious traffic accidents in the past, with experts citing overspeeding, long-distance travel, poor road conditions in some areas and inadequate vehicle maintenance as contributing factors.
At least 14 people were killed and 29 others injured in a road accident on the Faisalabad Road near Quli Faqeer Stop when a speeding passenger van collided head-on with a bus of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS).
Police sources said the passenger van was travelling from Faisalabad to Jhang when the driver attempted to overtake a tractor-trolley loaded with sugarcane
During the risky manoeuvre, the van veered into the opposite lane and rammed into an oncoming university bus. The UVAS bus was carrying students to Lahore to participate in a sports gala.
Due to the severity of the collision, nine people died on the spot, while 29 sustained injuries, three of whom were reported to be in critical condition.
Rescue 1122 teams rushed to the scene and shifted the injured to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital after providing first aid.
Five more injured passengers later succumbed to their wounds at the hospital, raising the death toll to 14.
Deputy Commissioner Ali Akbar and District Police Officer Bilal Iftikhar reached the accident site soon after receiving information and directed health authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif took notice of the incident and sought a detailed report from the district administration.
She instructed the deputy commissioner to personally monitor the treatment of the injured and ensure all possible medical facilities.
The deceased were identified as van driver Ali Haider, Faizan, Muhammad Rafiq, Sami Anjum, Rubia and her two-year-old son Muhammad Musa, Kishwar Bibi, Barkat, Abdul Rasheed and his wife Shehnaz Bibi and Sultan Ahmed.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident, while eyewitnesses blamed over-speeding and reckless overtaking for the tragic crash.