Major Accidents in Pakistan and Bangladesh Kill 32; Holiday Travelers Among Victims

CNA, Peshawar/Dhaka, May 25. At least 17 people were killed in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province today after a van lost control and plowed into a crowd. In Bangladesh, at least 15 people died this morning after a truck overturned.

The accidents occurred on the eve of the Eid al-Adha holiday, one of the most important festivals in the Islamic calendar, as many passengers were rushing home to reunite with their families.

In the Pakistan incident, a passenger bus traveling from Swat to Peshawar stopped on the side of the road due to mechanical failure. As passengers got off and waited nearby, a van lost control and crashed into the crowd and the parked bus.

Rescue worker Bilal Ahmad Faizi told AFP, "At least 17 people have died and more than 10 are injured," with three in critical condition. Doctors at a local hospital confirmed the death toll.

Traffic accidents are common in Pakistan due to poor enforcement of traffic laws, speeding, low road safety standards, and dangerous driving.

Meanwhile, Bangladeshi police said a truck carrying steel bars and passengers overturned on a major highway in central Bangladesh this morning, killing at least 15 people and injuring 10.

According to the Associated Press, local police chief Fuad Hossain said the accident occurred around 5 a.m. in the Soratoil area of Tangail district, 83 kilometers northwest of the capital, Dhaka. The cause was the driver losing control of the truck.

Hossain said the truck was carrying hitchhikers traveling from Dhaka to northern Bangladesh. The rollover caused them to die on the spot. He said most of the passengers were temporary workers who intended to return home to celebrate the holiday with their families.

In Bangladesh, a country of over 170 million people, thousands die in traffic accidents every year due to lax traffic enforcement, poor road conditions, and insufficient driving skills.