There have been two separate international accidents within a one-week period in Pakistan and the neighboring country of India, with the two resulting in dozens of deaths. India had previously been cited as having the world’s most dangerous roads with approximately 110,000 people killed on its roads each year.
The first accident took place in Rawalpindi, a province in Pakistan. Reports indicate that the bus driver, who was assigned to a route that lasted longer than five hours, was the only operator on board the bus and fell asleep at the wheel, ramming into the back of a 22-wheeler trailer and killing six passengers. Pakistan’s laws require that bus companies have at least two drivers onboard during long haul trips. They also require that motorway police strictly enforce these laws and are supposed to check and inspect buses to make sure that they are compliant.
Complaints against the police leniency have been registered since the accident, in large part because the initial accident reports did not mention that the police had neglected to inspect the vehicle. The police have defended themselves against these complaints by stating that it is impossible for them to inspect every bus that is on the road, and reiterating that maintaining the proper staffing on buses is the responsibility of the bus owner/operator.
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of Pakistani bus drivers falling asleep at the wheel in recent days. In this accident the driver had reportedly been driving for nearly twelve hours.
In the accident that took place in India over three dozen have been reported dead after the passenger bus struck a three-wheeled vehicle and then fell into a 300-foot deep gorge near a popular tourist site.
Malshej Ghat is located 100 miles from Mumbai and is noted for its hills and valleys. When the bus struck the lorry it slid off of the road and down into a valley lined with boulders and rocks. The bus was operated by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, whose company spokesman indicated that the driver and passenger were both highly experienced and familiar with the route.
According to police on the scene, rescuers are continuing to search for several missing passengers, while others are removing bodies from the wreckage and the rocks on the scene. Family members are gathering bodies to take home for ritual cremation. All passengers were believed to be Indian nationals travelling on a local route.