A vehicle crashed into a deep slope on the Quetta-Zhob National Highway in Pakistan’s Balochistan province early Wednesday, killing at least 22 occupants.
The van was on its way to Zhob from Loralai, according to the Dawn newspaper, which quoted district deputy commissioner Hafiz Muhammad Qasim.
“The truck was reported to have fallen from a height near Akhtarzai, killing 22 passengers,” he claimed.
A small boy was hurt in the accident and has been sent to Quetta for treatment.
The dead have been taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Qilla Saifullah.
Five infants, like many women, and eleven men were among the dead.
Pakistan President Arif Alvi and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged authorities to ensure adequate treatment for the injured.
Balochistan province Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo extended his condolences to the bereaved families.
(with inputs from IANS