Passenger van plunges into ravine killing 22 in Balochistan

At least 22 people were killed and a child was injured after a passenger van plunged 100 feet into a ravine near Killa Saifullah in Balochistan.

The incident took place on Wednesday morning when the ill-fated van, with approximately 23 people on board, had left Loralai for Zhob, reported Dawn.

"The vehicle fell from a hilltop near Akhtarzai and 22 travellers aboard were reportedly killed in the accident," said the district's deputy commissioner, Hafiz Muhammad Qasim.

Rescue 1122 officials said that a minor boy was injured in the accident and was referred to Quetta for medical treatment.

The bodies of all the deceased passengers, they added, have been shifted to the Killa Saifullah District Headquarters Hospital. The deceased included five children, five women, and 11 men, reported Dawn.

The DC said that an emergency had been imposed at hospitals located in the area, and said teams from Quetta had been called in for the rescue operation, which ended at around 1 pm. Immediately after the accident was reported, condolences started pouring in.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed grief over the incident. In a tweet, the Pakistan Peoples Party media cell said that the party chairman has extended sympathies to the bereaved families.

Bilawal urged authorities to ensure adequate medical treatment for the injured persons and called on them to take steps to avoid such accidents in the future.