At least 10 passengers were killed and 32 others injured after a speeding bus hit a divider and overturned near Bangla Hidayat on the Indus Highway in Rajanpur district of Punjab, rescue officials said on Wednesday. The ill-fated bus was travelling from Karachi to Dera Ghazi Khan when the accident occurred on a busy stretch of the highway.

Rescue teams reached the scene shortly after the incident and shifted the bodies and injured passengers to a nearby hospital for immediate medical attention. In a formal statement, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed deep grief over the loss of precious lives and offered heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

On her special instructions, the Rajanpur deputy commissioner reached the accident site to personally supervise the ongoing rescue and relief operations. The Punjab chief minister also directed relevant health officials to ensure the best possible medical treatment for all injured passengers and prayed for their speedy recovery.

An emergency was officially declared at the District Headquarters Hospital in Rajanpur and other nearby medical facilities following the catastrophic accident. The Punjab CM further directed district authorities to take strict and immediate action against any negligence found regarding the incident.

Road accidents are frequently reported on highways and motorways across Pakistan, often driven by speeding, reckless driving, driver fatigue, and poor vehicle maintenance. This tragic incident comes just a day after five people were killed when a speeding car hit a road divider in Multan, with all victims hailing from Shujaabad.