KARAK: At least 10 people lost their lives and nine others were injured early Tuesday when a speeding trailer collided with a Peshawar-bound passenger van on the Indus Highway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak district, according to police and rescue officials.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Muhammad Asif said several passengers were trapped in the wreckage and were later rescued and shifted to District Headquarters Hospital Karak. Those with critical injuries were referred to hospitals in Peshawar for further treatment.
Speaking to Dawn.com, police official Hajat Khan confirmed that the van was traveling from Waziristan to Peshawar, while the trailer was heading in the opposite direction from Peshawar to Dera Ismail Khan.
The driver of the trailer and his helper were also injured in the crash and taken to the hospital.
Asif described the crash as “horrific” and confirmed the names of some of the deceased: Naseemullah, Pir Mullah Khan, Naik Milli Khan, Bashirullah, Mustamina, and Musti Khan. Two deceased women remain unidentified.
Among the injured were Jamshed, Yousuf, Muhammad Arif, Jamil, Sajjad, Nizam Khan, and Imad Shah, as well as two unidentified children. All victims were reported to be residents of Miranshah.
Authorities said a first information report (FIR) has yet to be filed as police are currently focused on transporting the bodies to their hometown.
This marks the second fatal accident in Karak this year. In a previous incident, nine people were killed and 12 injured when a trailer fell over a passenger coach.
