Khairpur accident: Case lodged against NHA officials

KHAIRPUR: Police have filed the Khairpur accident case against National Highway Authority (NHA) officials.

At least 58 passengers were killed and 22 others injured when a Karachi-bound bus collided head-on with a truck at the Their Bypass, early on Tuesday morning. 18 children and 17 women were among those killed in the horrific accident.

The case against officials of the NHA was filed at the Shah Hussain police station and states the accident took place due to the deteriorating condition of the national highway.

Funeral prayers of the deceased were held in Karachi, Swat and other cities of the country.

AFP Adds: District police chief Nasir Aftab said the initial investigation found the road was in poor condition and had no warning signs to alert drivers to the danger.

"A first information report (FIR) for becoming cause of death has been registered and the concerned departments will be investigated for the bus accident," Aftab said.

He said it was the first time a government department would be investigated for a road accident in Pakistan.

Motorway police official Faisal Chachar said that a 61-kilometre (38-mile) stretch of the road was in poor condition, having developed a significant furrow in its surface.