MARDAN: At least 16 people were killed and seven others injured on Monday when a Swat-bound passenger coach crashed into a bus parked on the roadside along the Swat Motorway, rescue officials said.
The accident took place in the Khoro Kotay Saeed Abad area near Mardan. According to Rescue 1122, the coach hit the stationary bus from behind, leaving several passengers dead at the scene. Motorway Police, Rescue 1122 teams and local residents reached the site soon after the crash and shifted the bodies and injured to Mardan Medical Complex.
Rescue 1122 Public Relations Officer Syyed Abbas Shah confirmed the death toll, while officials said the identities of the deceased and injured were still being verified. The condition of some injured passengers was reported to be serious.
Initial reports from Motorway Police suggested that the parked bus had stopped on the roadside after developing a mechanical fault. The passenger coach then rammed into it, apparently at high speed. Other local reports said the bus was travelling from Karachi to Buner, while the van or coach involved in the collision was heading from Rawalpindi to Dir.
Authorities said preliminary evidence pointed to alleged negligence and reckless driving by the coach driver, though a formal investigation is under way. No final finding has yet been issued.
There was some variation in early casualty figures. Dawn and Dunya News reported 16 deaths and seven injuries, while Arab News, citing a Rescue 1122 spokesperson, put the toll at 17 dead and seven injured, including three critically wounded. The Associated Press also reported 17 deaths but listed five injuries.
The crash has once again raised concerns about highway safety in Pakistan, where speeding, driver fatigue, poorly maintained vehicles and weak enforcement of traffic rules are frequent factors in deadly intercity accidents. The Swat Expressway is a major route linking Mardan, Malakand and Swat, and carries heavy passenger traffic, especially during the travel season.
