KHUZDAR: Seven people died and four were injured on Wednesday in accidents on two separate highways in Balochistan, one of which involved a passenger coach erupting in flames after hitting a gas tanker, killing five people inside, according to police.

The deadliest incident occurred on the Makran Coastal Highway near Kund Malir when a passenger coach heading to Gwadar from Karachi collided head-on with a LPG bowser, highway police said. Both vehicles caught fire following the collision.

Police said five passengers on the bus burned to death after being trapped inside the flaming wreckage. Two other passengers sustained burn injuries.

Rescue workers rushed to the scene and saved many passengers by breaking the coach’s windows, while others jumped from the burning vehicle to save themselves, police said.

Gas cylinder explosion injures four

“Despite efforts of the rescue workers, five people travelling in the coach lost their lives,” said Lyari SHO Abdul Jaleel Soomro. The bodies and the injured were moved to a nearby health facility.

Mr Soomro added that fire tenders failed to control the blaze, which resulted in both vehicles being completely destroyed. The victims from the fire could not be immediately identified because their bodies were burned beyond recognition.

Meanwhile, a separate accident on the Quetta-Karachi National Highway in the Sangdas area of Kalat district left two people dead and two others injured.

Levies officials said a speeding car bound for Quetta struck a motorcycle, killing two riders. The deceased were identified as Abdul Qu­­d­­oos and Sajjad Ali. The injured were identif­­ied as Muham­mad Ismail and Muhammad Afzal.

Gas cylinder blast injures 4

Seperately, four people, including a man and his three sons, were severely injured in a gas cylinder explosion at their residence in Usta Mu­­­hammad district on Wednesday, officials said.

The powerful blast not only inj­ured the homeowner but also cau­sed significant damage to the house and shattered windows in nearby homes. Authorities quickly respon­ded to the incident, transporting the injured to the district hospital.

The victims were identified as Mu­­nir Ahmed and his sons, Badar Mun­ir, Sarfraz Munir, and Hussain Munir.

Due to the severity of their injuries, they were later transfer­red to Larkana for further medical treatment.

Ali Jan Mangi also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2025