At least 12 people were killed and more than 20 others injured when a passenger coach collided head-on with a minibus in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Friday, police said.

The accident occurred near the Quetta-Karachi Highway when a coach traveling from Gwadar district in southwestern Pakistan toward the southern port city of Karachi collided with a minibus, according to local police officials.

Seven people died at the scene, while five others later succumbed to their injuries at a hospital, the officials said.

Abdul Hakeem Lasi, head of the Edhi rescue service in the area, told local media that rescue workers transported around 22 injured passengers to a nearby hospital.

Seven of the injured were in critical condition, raising concerns that the death toll could increase.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the collision.

Road accidents are a persistent safety concern in Pakistan, where poor road conditions, speeding, vehicle maintenance issues and inadequate enforcement of traffic regulations are frequently cited as contributing factors. (ILKHA)