9 killed, 30 injured as bus falls into ditch in Pakistan

At least nine people were killed and over 30 others injured on Sunday in a bus accident in Pakistan, officials said.

The bus with 40 passengers onboard, travelling from Islamabad to Lahore through the M-2 motorway, fell into a ditch near Balkassar in the Punjab province's Chakwal district.

According to a spokesperson of the Chakwal Rescue 1122 emergency services, the bus driver lost control after one of the tyres burst, causing the vehicle to overturn and fall into a ditch.

“Nine people died in the accident and 30 were injured,” Dr Saeed Akhter, chief executive officer of the Chakwal District Health Authority (DHA), said in a statement.

Eight passengers died on the spot, while one succumbed to injuries at the hospital. The bus driver was among the dead.

All the deceased and injured were shifted to a government hospital in Chakwal.