QUETTA: At least seven people were killed and more than 30 injured when a truck collided with a passenger van near Machh in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, renewing concerns over road safety on the province’s accident-prone highways.
The crash occurred on Sunday near Zameendar Hotel in the Bolan area, according to local media reports. Police said the truck reportedly suffered brake failure, went out of control and collided with the van, sending both vehicles into a ravine.
The injured were taken to Civil Hospital, where medical staff provided emergency treatment. Dr Zahid Hussain, the hospital’s medical superintendent, confirmed that more than 30 injured people had been brought to the facility, according to local reports.
Authorities had not immediately released the identities of those killed or provided a detailed account of the victims’ conditions. Police said the circumstances of the crash were under investigation.
Balochistan’s highways face recurring safety concerns
The latest accident comes amid a wider pattern of deadly road crashes across Balochistan, where long-distance travel, difficult terrain and road safety challenges have repeatedly resulted in fatalities.
The province’s N-25 National Highway, also known as the RCD Highway, connects Quetta with Karachi and has been identified as one of the country’s most accident-prone routes. The N-65, which connects Quetta with Sukkur, is a separate highway serving another major transport corridor in the province.
According to a report published by The Express Tribune in January 2026, Medical Emergency Response Centre (MERC) 1122 recorded more than 24,000 road accidents across Balochistan during 2025, leaving nearly 30,000 people injured and more than 415 dead. The report identified the N-25 as the province’s most accident-prone highway, with significant numbers of injuries and fatalities reported in Mastung, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Pishin and Quetta.
The figures underline the scale of the road safety challenge facing the province, although they cover accidents across Balochistan and should not be interpreted as fatalities on the N-25 alone.
Previous crashes highlight the risks
Deadly accidents have repeatedly drawn attention to the dangers of travelling on Balochistan’s highways.
In November 2025, a passenger coach collided head-on with a liquefied petroleum gas tanker near Kund Malir on the Makran Coastal Highway. Five passengers died after the vehicles caught fire, according to a report published by Dawn. A separate accident on the Quetta–Karachi National Highway in Kalat district that month killed two people and injured two others.
In May 2024, a passenger bus travelling from Turbat to Quetta plunged into a rocky ravine near Washuk, killing 28 people and injuring 20, according to the Associated Press.
These incidents occurred on different roads and at different locations, but together they illustrate the recurring danger of serious highway accidents in the province.
The latest crash near Machh adds to those concerns and raises renewed questions about vehicle maintenance, road safety enforcement and emergency response on Balochistan’s transport routes.
Police have yet to release their final findings into the Machh accident, including confirmation of the suspected brake failure and any other contributing factors.
