At least ten people were killed and several others injured in a deadly road accident involving a passenger van and a trailer near Methakhel on the Indus Highway in Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, rescue and police officials said.
According to police, the collision occurred when the van, carrying passengers, collided head-on with a trailer near Lucky Ghandaki, a mountainous stretch of the Indus Highway known for frequent accidents due to sharp turns and high-speed traffic.
Rescue 1122 officials said ten people died on the spot, while at least eight others sustained injuries. The injured were shifted to the district headquarters hospital, where an emergency was declared soon after the incident.
Several of the injured were reportedly in critical condition, and rescue teams were engaged in efforts to retrieve passengers trapped inside the wreckage. Authorities feared the death toll might rise.
The identities of the victims have not yet been confirmed. Officials said the van was en route to Dera Ismail Khan from Kohat when the accident occurred. Initial reports suggest the driver may have lost control while trying to overtake.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a passenger coach travelling from Gilgit to Rawalpindi overturned on the Hazara Motorway near Shah Maqsood in Haripur, resulting in the deaths of two people and injuries to at least 20 others, including three foreign nationals.
Motorway police said the driver reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, causing the vehicle to swerve off the road and overturn. Emergency response teams were dispatched immediately and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals.
Authorities have launched investigations into both accidents and urged public transport operators to ensure driver rest periods and vehicle maintenance to avoid such tragic incidents.
