Nine passengers died and 30 others were injured after the bus they were travelling on fell into a ditch near Balkassar Interchange in Punjab’s Chakwal district on Sunday morning.

According to a spokesperson of Chakwal Rescue 1122, the bus was heading to Lahore from Islamabad when one of its tyres burst near the Balkassar Interchange on the Islamabad-Lahore Motorway (M2).

The driver lost control of the bus, causing the vehicle to fall into a ditch and overturn.

“Nine people died in the accident and 30 were injured,” Dr Saeed Akhter, chief executive officer of the Chakwal District Health Authority (DHA), said in a statement.

It added that Chakwal Deputy Commissioner Sarah Hayat and Assistant Commissioner Zeeshan Sharif also visited the injured at the District Healthquarters (DHQ) Hospital.

DC Hayat, who was briefed on the accident’s details, directed that all possible medical facilities be provided to the wounded.

Eight passengers died on the spot, while one succumbed to her injuries at the hospital, according to an earlier police statement. The bus driver was among the deceased.

According to the Rescue 1122 statement, there were over 40 passengers on the bus.

As per the list issued by the rescue service, an eight-month and a one-year-old infant were among four children who lost their lives. The eldest person among the deceased was 45 years old, while the injured were aged between 16 and 55 years.

Two sisters aged 14 and two years were among the dead, while their mother was injured. A woman from Philippines, identified as Emy Dela Cruz and married in Lahore, was also among the wounded.

Rescue 1122 had dispatched six rescue vehicles to the crash site, while personnel of National Highways and Motorway Police, the Chakwal police and a team of the Frontier Works Organisation also reached the incident site.

Some of the injured were rushed to Kallar Kahar Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, while others and the bodies were taken to the Chakwal DHQ Hospital.

Dr Mukhtar Sarwar Niazi, medical superintendent at the DHQ Hospital, told Dawn.com earlier today that four out of 12 injured persons brought there were “critically injured” and were being referred to Rawalpindi.

Chakwal District Police Officer Ahmed Mohiuddin took notice of the incident and sent a team comprising senior police officials. “The site has been cordoned off and police are acting as per law”, a spokesperson of Chakwal Police said.

Chakwal Rescue and Safety Officer Shaukat Ali said: “Our rescue teams responded with professional expertise, providing immediate medical aid to the injured and transporting the deceased to the hospital.”

He urged the public to ensure complete vehicle fitness checks — especially tyre, brake and steering system inspections — before embarking on long journeys to prevent such tragic incidents.

Fatal road accidents on highways occur frequently in Pakistan, mainly due to overspeeding, hazardous overtaking and disregard for traffic rules.

On July 13, six people lost their lives while 27 others were injured as a bus carrying them crashed on the M2 motorway near Chakri Interchange.

On February 28, eight passengers were killed while over 40 were injured on the same motorway when a Karachi-bound bus fell into a ditch near Bhagal village, a few kilometres away from Balkassar Interchange.

In August last year, 27 passengers were injured when a bus overturned on the M-2 near the Sial Mor service area.

This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.

Additional input from Imran Gabol