Tragedy struck as 17 religious pilgrims lost their lives and 41 others were injured in a devastating crash on their way to a shrine in southwestern Pakistan.

The incident occurred around 10 pm on Wednesday night in the Hub district of Balochistan province, officials confirmed.

According to district deputy commissioner Munir Ahmed, the fatal crash happened when a truck carrying the pilgrims was overspeeding and lost control while navigating a turn. The vehicle then plunged into a ravine in a mountainous area near the shrine.

“The travellers were en route to a prayer site during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr,” Ahmed stated, highlighting the somber context of the journey.

Fortunately, the driver managed to escape unharmed by jumping out of the truck before the crash.

Shaukat Jalbani, the deputy medical superintendent of Hub’s main hospital, reported that most of the injured had been transferred to nearby Karachi for urgent medical attention. He confirmed the tragic loss of 17 lives in the accident.

Early Thursday, workers were seen unloading the shrouded bodies of the deceased into a morgue in Karachi, marking a heartbreaking aftermath of the incident.

This tragic event underscores the ongoing challenges of road safety in Pakistan, where lax safety measures, poor driver training, and decrepit transport infrastructure contribute to frequent accidents with high fatalities.

This crash echoes a similar tragedy in January 2023 when 41 lives were lost in a bus accident in Balochistan province, emphasizing the urgent need for improved safety standards on the country’s roads.