At least 16 dead as multiple buses carrying pilgrims crash in Sindh

At least 16 people were killed and dozens injured in separate accidents involving two buses carrying pilgrims in Nawabshah and Khairpur.

In Nawabshah, at least six people lost their lives and 10 were injured in a collision between a van and a trailer carrying pilgrims near Fatuhal Zardari village on Amri Road.

In Khairpur, on the other hand, a coach carrying pilgrims overturned near Ranipur on the National Highway resulting in the deaths of at least 10 people and injuring 30 others.

According to the police, those injured in the accidents were shifted to the hospital.

Pilgrims, who travelled in the vehicles, were visiting Sehwan Sharif to attend the urs — the death anniversary of a sufi saint— of Usman Marwandi, popularly known as Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.

Moreover, according to the rescue sources, the condition of the seven people injured in the accident remains critical.

The rescue sources also added that the passenger coach was travelling from Punjab to Sehwan.

Additionally, it is important to note that the Sindh government has declared a public holiday on February 19 on the occasion of Lal Shabaz Qalandar’s urs.

Commemorations for the annual urs of the highly-regarded Sufi saint begin from February 17. Thousands of pilgrims visit the saint's shrine to attend the urs every year.

Lal Shabaz Qalandar is a revered religious personality not just in Pakistan but across South Asia. On the occasion of the saint’s urs, his followers gather at his shrine in Sehwan annually, engaging in different rituals as well as celebrations.

Furthermore, a prominent highlight of the urs is the mystical dance known as "Dhamaal", which is highly popular in the province of Sindh and is mainly performed by fakirs, dervishs, and devotees.