SARGODHA: Fourteen me­m­bers of a family were killed and another nine injured when the truck they were travelling in fell into a ditch near Khushab on Saturday, officials confirmed.

The truck, with 23 people, including five women and four children, on board, was coming from Khyber Pakhtun­khwa’s Bannu district and headed for Khushab. It overturned near Darbar Panj Pir Manawan, a suburb of Soon Valley, around 50km from Khushab city.

The accident was caused due to a brake failure, according to District Rescue Officer Hafiz Abdul Rasheed.

‘Brake failure’ caused Khushab tragedy; eight children among the dead

He said the Rescue Control Room in Khushab received an emergency call at 11:22am, add­ing that rescue teams rea­ched the site of the accident and gave first aid to the injured.

All 14 people, including eight children, died on the spot while the injured were moved to the THQ Hospital in Naushehra tehsil of Khushab. Seven of the victims with serious injuries were moved to DHQ Hospital, Jauharabad.

The passengers belong to the labour class and were coming to Khushab for work.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the accident. CM Sharif directed the authorities to ensure proper treatment of the injured.

Mr Naqvi extended his condolences to the grieving families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

This was the second major accident in two months as 17 people were killed when the truck they were travelling in plunged into a ravine in Balochistan’s Hub district on April 10, the first day of Eidul Fitr.

The truck, carrying more than 50 people, was en route to the Shah Noorani shrine in Khuzdar from Thatta.

In August 2023, at least 18 people lost their lives when a bus caught fire following a collision with a pick-up loaded with diesel drums on the Lahore-Islamabad M2 Motorway near Pindi Bhattian.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2024