What happened
At least 40 people were killed and eight injured when an overcrowded passenger coach travelling from Quetta to Peshawar plunged into a deep ravine in the Danasar area of Balochistan’s Sherani district on Friday 3 July 2026. Officials said the vehicle, operated by the New Mekhtar service, was on the Sherani-Zhob highway near the border between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it left the road in mountainous terrain, The Express Tribune reported.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmad Faizi said the bus was carrying 48 passengers when it crashed. The bus had reportedly taken on passengers from another coach that had broken down, leaving it overcrowded. Sanaullah Sherani, who heads the emergency service in Zhob district, told AFP that the bus fell about 70 to 80 feet (21 to 24 metres) into the ravine.
Balochistan Chief Minister’s Adviser on Media Shahid Rind confirmed the death toll of 40 and said the eight injured passengers had been shifted to hospital for treatment. Police said preliminary reports suggested the crash followed a brake failure, The News reported; other initial accounts pointed to a possible steering fault and speeding, and officials said an investigation had been launched to establish the cause.
Rescue and response
The Medical Emergency Response Centre said 40 bodies were recovered from the crash site and the eight injured were taken to the Trauma Centre in Zhob, about 75 kilometres from the accident. Six ambulances, 12 emergency medical technicians and 10 light transport vehicle drivers were deployed. Teams from the Sherani district administration, Rescue 1122, police, the Frontier Corps and emergency services from both Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa took part, with rugged terrain hampering the operation. Bodies were first moved to a rural health centre and then to the District Headquarters Hospital in Zhob.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti expressed grief and ordered an inquiry. The provincial government later registered a case against the coach company, sealed its offices in Quetta and began a formal investigation, Aaj English reported. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi directed Rescue 1122 and district authorities to continue relief work and ordered that victims from his province be identified and their bodies transported home. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed sorrow and directed that the injured receive medical assistance.
Why it matters
The crash is one of the deadliest road accidents in Pakistan in recent years and again focused attention on the condition of intercity bus services and mountain highways. Fatal accidents are common on Pakistani roads, where officials frequently cite reckless driving, poor road surfaces and poorly maintained vehicles. Earlier this year, a passenger coach plunged into a ravine in Swat’s Charbagh, killing eight, and a coach overturned on the Makran Coastal Highway near Ormara, killing 10. The N-50 route through the Sulaiman range is a key link between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
