At least 34 people were killed in two separate bus accidents in Pakistan on Sunday, including 12 pilgrims who had been trying to reach Iran, rescue officials said. At least 22 people were killed when the bus they were travelling in plunged into a ravine near the town of Azad Pattan.
"22 dead till now, including 15 men, six women and one child," said Farooq Ahmed, a spokesman for Rescue 1122 emergency services in Punjab.
In a separate incident, 12 men died when their bus crashed into a ravine on the Makran Coastal Highway in Balochistan, after being prevented from crossing into Iran.
"This is a particularly treacherous tract of road, with many twists and turns. The driver was over speeding and the bus fell into a deep ravine," police official Aslam Bangulzai, who was at the scene, told AFP.
The accident occurred in a mountainous area, around 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the nearest town of Uthal and 500 kilometres from the Iran border town of Pishin.
"The bus was carrying pilgrims on its way to Arbaeen (pilgrimage) but was turned back at the Iran border because their documents had some problems," said Hamood Ur Rehman, a senior government official in the nearby district of Gwadar.
Road accidents with high fatalities are common in Pakistan, where safety measures are lax, driver training is poor and transport infrastructure often decrepit.
On Saturday, the bodies of 28 pilgrims who died in a bus crash in Iran were returned to Pakistan.
The bus was carrying 51 Pakistani pilgrims who were passing through Iran to attend the Arbaeen commemoration in Iraq, one of the biggest events of the Shiite calendar, when it overturned and caught fire in front of a checkpoint in Yazd province on Tuesday night, Iranian state TV reported.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Telegram Chief Pavel Durov Arrested For 'Lack Of Moderation' On App
PM Modi Announces Rs 2 Lakh Compensation For Nepal Bus Accident Victims Death Count Rises To 41 In Nepal Road Accident Nepal Bus Accident: Air Force Plane To Bring Back Bodies Of 24 Indians Israel Attacks Lebanon In "Self-Defence", Hezbollah Responds With 300 Rockets After "Brahmin Genes" Post, Bengaluru CEO's "Unapologetic" Follow-Ups No Dalit In Miss India, Says Rahul Gandhi. Kiren Rijiju Blames "Bal Buddhi" David's Colour Block Gym Look Didn't Meet Victoria's Style Standards Andhra Woman Swept Away In Malaysia Sewage Drain After Footpath Collapses Delhi Police Arrests 2 Members Of Interstate Illegal Arms Supplier Gang Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.