ISLAMABAD: Two tragic bus accidents involving pilgrims traveling to the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine claimed 16 lives and left 25 injured on Saturday near Khairpur and Qazi Ahmed.
The first incident occurred when a passenger bus from Punjab overturned on the National Highway near Khairpur’s Ranipur area. The crash resulted in 10 fatalities and 15 injuries, with police citing overspeeding as the cause.
The second accident took place on Qazi Ahmed Amri Road, where a bus carrying pilgrims from Burewala, Punjab, collided, killing six and injuring 10. All victims were on their way to the annual Urs festival at the shrine.
Injured passengers from the Ranipur crash were transported to hospitals in Gambat and nearby areas. Casualties from the Qazi Ahmed accident were taken to Tehsil Hospital Qazi Ahmed, with eight critically injured patients referred to PMU Hospital Nawabshah.
Both groups were en route to Sehwan Sharif for the Urs of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, a major religious event. Local authorities have launched investigations, with early reports pointing to speed as a potential factor in one of the crashes.
