Hazara Motorway Bus Collision: 8 Killed, 30 Injured
Eight people were killed and 30 injured in the Hazara Motorway bus collision near the Havelian Interchange early on Friday morning, rescue officials said.
The bus was travelling from Gilgit to Rawalpindi when the accident occurred. Initial reports suggested that a tyre burst caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle before it collided with the truck, the Rescue 1122 statement said.
Hazara Motorway bus collision: what happened
The crash took place near Havelian Interchange, on the stretch of motorway that links the Hazara region with Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The bus was carrying passengers from Gilgit on the overnight route south.
Rescue 1122 Abbottabad dispatched seven ambulances and a rescue vehicle to the scene. The rescue operation was led by District Emergency Officer Hafeezur Rehman, and it was completed successfully, the statement said.
Rescue workers gave first aid to the injured at the scene before shifting them to nearby hospitals for treatment.
The dead and the injured
The bodies of the eight people killed, who reportedly belonged to Gilgit, were taken to different hospitals. One body was taken to Type-D Hospital in Havelian, four were shifted to Ayub Medical Complex and three to the District Headquarters Hospital in Abbottabad.
All 30 injured passengers, including five children and six women, were shifted to Ayub Medical Complex for treatment. Four of them were reported to be in critical condition.
No further details about the identities of the victims had been released by the time the report was published.
Second deadly bus crash in two days
The Hazara Motorway crash is the second fatal bus collision in two days. A day earlier, a collision between a passenger bus and a truck claimed 11 lives and left 33 injured near Pakpattan.
Last week, at least five people were killed and 27 injured when a passenger bus plunged into a drain in Punjab’s Hafizabad district.
The pattern extends further back. A collision on the M-4 Motorway near Faisalabad killed five people in October, and that crash was also linked to a tyre burst.
Tyre failure, driver fatigue on overnight routes and the condition of intercity buses keep appearing in these reports. The Hazara crash adds another case in which a tyre burst is the first explanation offered for a vehicle losing control.
Related coverage
- The Pakpattan crash a day earlier is covered in 11 Killed, 33 Injured in Pakpattan Bus Accident.
- The October M-4 crash is covered in Five Dead in M-4 Motorway Collision.
- The motorway itself was the subject of a repairs package in Rs900 Million Approved for Hazara Motorway Repairs.
- Fog-related motorway closures are covered in M3 Motorway Closed Between Faizpur and Jaranwala.
A motorway with known trouble spots
The crash happened on a motorway whose condition has already drawn official attention. The E-35 Hazara Motorway project began in 2015 and reached completion in 2018, and the government has since allocated Rs900 million for repairs after technical assessments found depressions and settlement at around six to seven locations. Feature Pakistan reported the repair package in October.
That history does not explain this crash: the first reports point to a tyre burst, not the road surface. But it is a reminder that the route carries heavy overnight traffic on a road the state is still spending to put right.
Frequently asked questions
Where did the Hazara Motorway bus collision happen?
The crash took place near the Havelian Interchange on the Hazara Motorway, on the route between Gilgit and Rawalpindi.
How many people were killed and injured?
Eight people were killed and 30 others were injured, including five children and six women. Four of the injured were in critical condition.
What caused the crash?
Initial reports said a tyre burst caused the driver to lose control of the bus before it collided with a dumper truck, according to Rescue 1122.
Where were the injured taken?
All 30 injured passengers were shifted to Ayub Medical Complex for treatment. The bodies of the dead were taken to Type-D Hospital Havelian, Ayub Medical Complex and DHQ Hospital Abbottabad.
Was this the first such crash this week?
No. A bus-truck collision near Pakpattan a day earlier killed 11 people and injured 33, and a bus plunged into a drain in Hafizabad last week, killing five.
