Road accident kills 36 in southern Pakistan

A Pakistani woman grieves at a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, after identifying the body of her relative, killed in a road accident near Gadani, Saturday, March 22, 2014. AP

KARACHI, Pakistan — Pakistani police say a passenger bus has rammed into a disabled flatbed trailer parked on the side of a highway in the south, killing at least 36 people, including 17 women and children.

Police officer Zia Soomro says the bus was headed north near the town of Pannu Aqil when it hit the truck early Sunday.

He also said 20 people were injured in the crash. He said some of the injured were admitted in serious condition to the town hospital and that the death toll could increase.

Soomro said the accident’s cause is unclear. He said one track of the road is closed at the site due to construction work.

Bad road infrastructure, poor driving and massive disregard for traffic rules often cause such accidents in Pakistan.