MARDAN (MNN); At least 16 people were killed and seven others injured after a passenger coach travelling to Swat collided with a bus parked along the roadside on the Swat Motorway in the Khoro Kotay Saeedabad area on Monday, according to rescue officials.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Syed Abbas Shah confirmed the death toll and said emergency teams responded immediately after receiving reports of the crash.
According to motorway police, the accident occurred when the passenger coach struck a bus that had been parked on the roadside after developing a mechanical fault.
Officials from Rescue 1122, motorway police and local residents rushed to the scene and launched rescue operations. The deceased and injured were shifted to Mardan Medical Complex for treatment and identification.
Hospital and rescue officials said the identities of the victims were still being verified. However, most of those affected are believed to be from Dir and Bajaur and were reportedly travelling home for the Eid holidays.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafi Jan expressed sorrow over the tragedy and said all injured passengers were being provided the best possible medical care.
Road accidents remain frequent on highways and motorways across Pakistan, often linked to speeding, reckless driving, driver fatigue, poor vehicle maintenance and unsafe road conditions.
Earlier this month, five people were killed and 10 others injured after a passenger van carrying a wedding party plunged into a ravine in Swat’s Charbagh tehsil. In April, several other major accidents were also reported in Peshawar, Nankana and near the Hazara Motorway.
