10 killed, 35 injured as bus overturns on Rajanpur’s Indus Highway
The Rajanpur bus accident claimed at least 10 lives on Wednesday when a passenger bus travelling from Karachi to Dera Ghazi Khan overturned after hitting a road divider on the Indus Highway. The crash took place near Bangla Hidayat in Rojhan tehsil, on a stretch of road that remains under construction, Rescue 1122 said.
Women and children were among the dead and injured. Rescue teams reached the site after receiving the emergency call and shifted the injured to hospitals. Twenty injured passengers were taken to the Rajanpur District Headquarters Hospital, while 12 people with minor injuries received medical assistance at the scene.
Rajanpur bus accident toll rose as victims succumbed
The death toll climbed to 10 after a woman and a child died of their injuries, according to successive updates from Rescue 1122. The dead included at least seven men and two women. Seven of the injured were initially reported to be in critical condition; five were referred to a hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan and two to a hospital in Rahim Yar Khan for further treatment.
The deceased and injured belonged to Dera Ghazi Khan, Taunsa and Balochistan, rescue officials said. Rajanpur Deputy Commissioner Imran Ranjha, the district police officer and the assistant commissioner reached the site to oversee the rescue operation. Ranjha told Dawn that a case would be registered against the bus driver, who fled the scene, as well as the vehicle’s owner.
Rescue 1122 said it mobilised 10 ambulances and two rescue vehicles from Rajanpur, Jampur and Rojhan, with 35 rescuers taking part in the emergency response.
October’s deadly pattern on Pakistan’s roads
The Rajanpur crash continues a grim October on the country’s highways. On October 19, five young men were killed when a speeding car overturned and caught fire on Bosan Road in Multan. The car went out of control near Sabzazar Metro Station, hit a road divider, overturned and crashed into a wall.
The same day, four people, including women and children, died when a Mazda truck collided with an Alto car near Darbi in Balochistan’s Bolan district. Earlier, on October 16, eight people were killed in two separate accidents in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa — six when a passenger van overturned in Buner, and two children run over by a truck near Tarnab Road in Charsadda.
That same day, three members of a family, including a 15-year-old boy, were killed when a 22-wheeler trailer carrying cement crushed their car at a traffic signal on Allama Iqbal Road in Lahore’s Garhi Shahu area. The Garhi Shahu crash later prompted fresh medical tests for commercial driving licence holders, a reminder that enforcement, not just condolences, follows these tragedies.
Under-construction roads and speeding remain the killers
The Rajanpur bus was travelling on an under-construction section of the Indus Highway when it struck the divider. Rescue officials and local reports point to the familiar mix behind most highway deaths in Punjab: speeding, careless driving, driver fatigue and poor vehicle maintenance, compounded by unfinished road work.
Punjab has moved to tighten weapons rules this month, but road safety enforcement remains the province’s quieter crisis. Until divider strikes on half-built highways stop killing bus passengers, the toll will keep rising.
Frequently asked questions
Where did the Rajanpur bus accident happen?
The bus overturned near Bangla Hidayat in Rojhan tehsil of Rajanpur district, on the Indus Highway. The bus was travelling from Karachi to Dera Ghazi Khan when it hit a divider on an under-construction stretch of road.
How many people died in the Rajanpur bus accident?
At least 10 passengers were killed and 35 injured, according to Rescue 1122. The dead included at least seven men and two women, and the injured included women and children. Seven of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.
What action is being taken after the accident?
Rajanpur Deputy Commissioner Imran Ranjha said a case would be registered against the bus driver, who fled the scene, and the vehicle’s owner. The injured were shifted to hospitals in Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rahim Yar Khan.
