27 killed, 60 injured as two buses collide in Pakistan; Sharif expresses grief

Lahore: At least 27 people were killed on Monday and over 60 others injured when two passenger buses collided in Pakistan’s Punjab province, rescue officials said. The accident took place in Khanpur area of Rahim Yar Khan, some 600 kms from Lahore. One of the buses was en route to Bahawalpur from Faisalabad while the other was heading from Karachi to Rahim Yar Khan, rescue services spokesperson Deeba Shahnaz said. The incident occurred due to overspeeding and claimed the lives of at least 27 people besides leaving over 60 people injured, rescue officials said. [caption id=“attachment_3056042” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image[/caption] The accident was so serious that the bodies and the injured could only be recovered after cutting through the vehicles, Zafar Iqbal, district coordination officer of Rahim Yar Khan said told Dawn News. At least 22 people have been reported dead, he said, adding that the death toll may rise. Rahim Yar Khan police spokesperson Arshad Nawaz said at least 40 other passengers were injured. The wounded have been shifted to hospitals in Khanpur and Rahim Yar Khan hospitals. Condition of some injured persons is stated to be serious, Radio Pakistan reported. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the accident and directed the authorities concerned to provide best medical treatment to the injured, it said.