Pakistan: Bus crashes leave dozens dead

Two bus accidents in Pakistan left at least 35 people dead and dozens injured, rescue and hospital officials said.

What do we know so far? 

The two accidents happened just hours apart and took place in in different corners of the country. 

The first accident took place in the southwestern Lasbela district in Balochistan province, when a bus carrying Shiite Muslim pilgrims who were returning from Iraq via Iran fell from a highway into a ravine.

Some 12 people were killed and 32 others injured, as the driver lost control of the vehicle after the breaks failed, local police chief Qazi Sabir said.

Hours later, the second accident took place, when a bus heading to Pakistan-administrated disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir fell into a ravine in the eastern Punjab province's Kahuta district, police and officials said.

That accident left 24 people dead, including two women and a child. Officials said there were no survivors.

Sardar Waheed, a senior government official, said the bus fell from a bridge and heavy machinery was needed to lift the wreckage.

President Asif Ali Zardari, PM Sharif express condolences 

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif released separate statements offering their condolences and expressing sorrow for the victims of the two accidents. 

Bus crashes are a common occurrence in Pakistan, due to a combination of dilapidated infrastructure, poor driver training and weak transit laws.

Just days before Sunday's bus accidents, 28 Pakistani pilgrims were also killed in a bus crash in neighboring Iran, while heading to Iraq.

jcg/wd (AFP, AP)