More than 40 people killed after bus crash in Pakistan

Jan. 29 (UPI) -- More than 40 people were killed after a passenger bus crashed into a ravine in the Lasbela district in southern Pakistan on Sunday, officials said.

"The loss of more than 40 precious lives as a result of the bus accident in Lasbela is surely no less than Qayamat Sughra," Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement, using an Urdu term for a great disaster.

"My sympathies and prayers go out to the affected families. The provincial government should immediately investigate this tragic accident to find out the reasons."

Lasbela Assistant Commissioner Hamza Anjum told the newspaper Dawn that the coach was travelling with nearly 48 passengers onboard from Quetta to Karachi.

"Due to speeding, the coach crashed into the pillar of a bridge while taking a U-turn near Lasbela," Anjum said. "The vehicle subsequently careened into a ravine and then caught fire."

Anjum added that three people, including a child and a woman, were rescued alive and are being treated at a local hospital -- but one of them has since died from his injuries.

Pakistan is among the top countries in the world for deaths caused by traffic accidents. A report from the World Health Organization found that more than 27,000 people died on Pakistan roads in 2018.