44 Killed, Several Others Seriously Injured In 2 Separate Bus Accidents

• On Sunday, August 25, 29 people died on the spot after a passenger bus en route to Rawalpindi crashed into a ditch
• Local police reported that the bus driver was speeding when he lost control and fell into a deep ditch
• Elsewhere, 12 Muslim pilgrims died when their bus crashed on the Makran Coastal Highway in Balochistan

Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Grief and sorrow have engulfed several families after two tragic accidents left over 40 people dead in Pakistan.

What caused the Rawalpindi accident?

On Sunday, August 25, 29 people died on the spot after a passenger bus en route to Rawalpindi fell into a ditch.

According to the police, the rescue officials are at the scene, but only one person survived with injuries.

Police said the driver of the bus was over speeding when he lost control and fell into the deep ditch on the border between Punjab province and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

"22 dead till now, including 15 men, six women and one child. This is a particularly treacherous tract of road, with many twists and turns. The driver was overspeeding, and the bus fell into a deep ravine," Police official Aslam Bangulzai, as reported by Radio Pakistan.

How many Muslim pilgrims died in Pakistan accident?

In a separate incident, 12 people died when their bus crashed on the Makran Coastal Highway in Balochistan.

The accident occurred in a mountainous area, around 100 kilometres from the nearest town of Uthal and 500 kilometres from the Iran border town of Pishin.

The bus was carrying Shiite Muslim pilgrims returning from Iraq through Iran when it fell from a highway into a ravine in southwest Pakistan early on Sunday, killing at least 12 people and injuring 32 others.

Local police said the driver lost control of the bus after its brakes failed while passing through Lasbela district in Baluchistan province.

"The bus was carrying pilgrims on its way to Arbaeen but was turned back at the Iran border because their documents had some problems," said Hamood Ur Rehman, a senior government official.

Migaa crash claims 14 lives

In another tragic incident, a sombre atmosphere settled over the Migaa area near Salgaa following a tragic collision involving a Coast bus and multiple other vehicles.

The Kenya Red Cross Society reported that 55 people were rescued and taken to Coptic and Molo hospitals for urgent care.

The survivors have revealed that the ill-fated bus had mechanical problems that were repeatedly ignored.

Survivor Rhoda Atieno, who was travelling from Kisumu, revealed that the bus had 71 passengers en route to Mombasa and that the crew had faced mechanical issues throughout the journey.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke