42 killed as passenger bus falls into ravine, catches fire in Pakistan's Balochistan province
Islamabad (PTI): At least 42 people, including women and children, were killed on Sunday after a speeding passenger bus crashed into a pillar of a bridge and fell into a ravine in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, according to officials.
The bus was carrying 48 people from provincial capital Quetta to Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, when it crashed into the pillar and subsequently careened into a ravine before catching fire in the Lasbela area, Assistant Commissioner Lasbela Hamza Anjum said.
"The speeding bus crashed into the pillar of a bridge while taking a U-turn near Lasbela and fell into a ravine and then caught fire," he told the media.
Anjum said till now 42 bodies have been recovered from the accident site.
Only three people, including a child and a woman, could be rescued alive, the official said, adding that the death toll could rise as the injured were in critical condition.
"There were a total of 48 people on the passenger coaster," he said.
He said the bodies were charred beyond recognition and DNA testing will be done for the identification of the deceased.
Police and rescue officials were busy in pulling out bodies and shifting them to the nearby hospitals, according to officials.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah expressed grief over the tragedy and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
Such horrific road accidents happen frequently in Pakistan especially in areas where roads and highways need repairs and no proper safety measures are followed while awarding licenses and permits to commercial vehicles.
Passenger buses are frequently crammed to capacity and seatbelts are not commonly worn, meaning high death tolls from single-vehicle accidents are common.
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Karnataka procured 16 lakh expired RT-PCR kits during Covid wave: D’Cunha commission
Bengaluru: Justice John Michael D’Cunha’s committee has uncovered significant irregularities in the procurement of medical supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic, revealing that more than 16 lakh RT-PCR test kits purchased by Karnataka in 2022 under the BJP-led government were either expired or close to their expiry dates.
After irregularities in PPE kit purchases, ventilators have also come under the scanner, with the report highlighting discrepancies amounting to Rs 173.26 crore in purchases made by the Medical Education Department.
The commission has also found that the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd. (KSMSCL) that cancelled a supply order for one lakh Rapid Antigen (RAT) kits placed with a Singapore-based company in March 2020 — for delay in supplying — has not recovered the Rs 6.99 crore paid to the company towards the order, as reported by The Hindu on Thursday.
According to the 279-page report on procurements made by the KSMSCL that is compiled in part IV of the report, a payment of Rs 148.84 crore was made by KSMSCL to various suppliers and firms towards procurement of RT-PCR kits from 2020 to 2022.
The Commission’s report, as cited by the publication, stated that there were records indicating procurement of RT-PCR kits, RNA extraction kits and Viral transport media (VTM) of a total value of Rs 106.25 crore during the pandemic in Karnataka. However, according to the report, this procurement was made without administrative approval.
“Since the KSMSCL has failed to discharge its obligation and responsibility, the loss caused to the State exchequer to this extent is required to be replenished by the erring officers and/or officials of the KSMSCL as well as the officers and/or officials of the consignee designated laboratories who received the consignment,” the report said, pegging the losses due to expired kits supplied by companies at Rs 3.11 crore.
In response to the report’s findings, state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao criticised the saffron party for profiting from the pandemic. He promised accountability for the irregularities involving PPE kits and ventilators, stating that those responsible would face punishment.
