At least 27 people have died after a bus accident in Pakistan

At least 27 people have died after a bus veered off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in southwestern Pakistan.
The crash happened around dawn in the town of Basima in Balochistan province, while the bus was traveling from the town of Turbat to Quetta, AFP reported.
"The driver was taking a turn in a mountainous area when the vehicle lost control and fell into a ravine," said Ismail Mengal, a local government official.
"We are still investigating the cause of the incident. It is possible that the driver fell asleep or over-speeding which led to the accident,” Mengal added.
More than 25 people, including the driver, were injured.
The country's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif "expressed deep sorrow and grief over the tragic road accident."
Fatal road accidents are common in Pakistan, where safety measures are inadequate, driver training is poor and transport infrastructure is often in a state of disrepair.
At least 17 pilgrims were killed and 41 injured in an accident in April while traveling to a shrine in Balochistan's Hub district.
In January 2023, 41 people died when their bus, also loaded with containers of flammable oil, flew off the road in the valley and burst into flames./BGNES