At least 15 people lost their lives and eight others were injured when a truck plunged into a deep ravine on the Swat Expressway, rescue officials confirmed on Thursday.

According to reports, the truck was carrying a group of nomads traveling from Bahrain, Swat, when the driver lost control of the vehicle, sending it crashing down the ravine. Rescue teams reached the spot soon after the tragic incident and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Fayaz said that most of the victims were children, adding that the rescue operation continued for several hours due to the rough terrain and the depth of the ravine.

The Swat Expressway accident has once again brought road safety issues into the spotlight, with many pointing to speeding, poor infrastructure, and overloading as major causes of such deadly crashes. Road accidents remain a persistent problem in Pakistan, claiming hundreds of lives every year.

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Earlier this month, another horrifying road crash took place near Kuddan Hotel in Shikarpur, where a high-speed truck ran over workers sleeping on the roadside. The vehicle, loaded with vegetables, lost control after hitting an electric pole, killing seven nomads, including six members of the same family, and injuring six others.

Similarly, fatal road accidents in Pakistan have continued to dominate headlines, with two separate collisions in Balochistan claiming 13 lives, including women and children. In one incident, six passengers died and 17 were injured when a coach collided with a truck near Zero Point in Lasbela’s Uthal. In another, seven people lost their lives after a coach crashed in Hub-Winder.