At least six people were killed and 50 others were injured in an accident in Pakistan when a passenger bus carrying Christian pilgrims for a religious gathering overturned in Punjab province on Sunday.
The bus was overloaded and speeding when it tried to take a turn at Khanka Dogran in Sheikhpura but the bus overturned. The pilgrims on the bus were headed to the National Marian Shrine in Mariamabad.
Police and rescue officials reached the spot and shifted the injured to the hospital. Reportedly, six passengers died on the spot while the condition of five is stated to be critical.
The officials said the bus carrying 60 passengers was overloaded.
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The police told the media that the driver lost control of the speeding vehicle while negotiating a turn.
Punjab's caretaker chief minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed grief over the loss of life in the accident and directed health authorities to provide the best treatment to the injured.
The National Marian Shrine in Mariamabad has been the site of an annual pilgrimage for the feast of the Nativity of Mary since 1949. Mariamabad is also known as the 'City of Mary.'
Road accidents are common in Pakistan and claim numerous lives on a daily basis. In August, 18 people were killed and 16 others injured when a passenger bus caught fire in Pakistan's Punjab province after colliding with a pick-up van carrying a fuel tank.
