At least 15 killed as truck plunges into ravine in Swat

• The truck was carrying nomadic families from Bahrain, Swat.
• Most of the deceased were children, says deputy commissioner.
• Rescue teams shifted the injured to hospital after the accident.

MALAKAND: At least fifteen people were killed when a truck fell into a ravine on the Swat Expressway, according to Rescue officials on Thursday.

The vehicle was reportedly carrying a group of nomads travelling from Bahrain, Swat, when it veered off the road and plunged into the ravine. Rescue said eight people were injured in the incident and were shifted to a hospital for medical treatment.

Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Fayaz said most of the deceased are children.

The tragic incident has once again highlighted road safety concerns in the country, where accidents are frequent due to poor infrastructure, speeding, and overloading of vehicles.

Earlier this month, seven nomads, including six family members, were killed and six others injured when a high-speed truck ran over workers sleeping on the roadside near Kuddan Hotel, Shikarpur.

According to reports, the truck, loaded with vegetables, collided with an electric pole before veering out of control and crashing into the nomads’ camp. The accident resulted in seven workers dying at the scene, while six others sustained injuries.

Police stated that the tragedy occurred due to the driver losing control of the vehicle, with initial investigations pointing to excessive speed as the cause.

The incident follows two separate accidents in Balochistan earlier the same week, which claimed at least 13 lives, including women and children, and left scores injured.

Local authorities reported that six people lost their lives and 17 others were seriously injured when a passenger coach rammed into an oncoming truck near Zero Point in Lasbela's Uthal.

In the other incident, seven people died and 16 were hurt after a coach crashed in Hub-Winder.

Fatal road accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules are rarely followed and roads in many rural areas are in poor condition.