Death on the Highways: Over 77,000 Accidents and 1,700 Deaths Reported on Balochistan’s Roads in Five Years

QUETTA: Balochistan’s highways have turned into corridors of tragedy, claiming thousands of lives over the past five years. According to a report by the **Medical Emergency Response Center (MERC) 1122**, from **October 2019 to September 2025**, the province recorded **77,826 road accidents**, resulting in **1,743 deaths** and **103,902 injuries**.

The report reveals that **Balochistan has the highest accident rate in the entire country**, with the situation worsening each year. The **N-25 National Highway (Karachi–Chaman)** topped the list with **35,113 accidents** and **900 fatalities**. Once considered the province’s main trade artery, N-25 has now earned the grim title of a “**Deadly Highway**” due to its **dilapidated single-lane road**, **overspeeding**, and **heavy traffic**.

The **N-50 Highway (Quetta–Dera Ismail Khan)** followed with **24,694 accidents** and **421 deaths**. The report noted that this route is **narrow, winding, and poorly lit**, making **night driving extremely hazardous**. Similarly, highways **N-85 (Surab–Panjgur)** and **N-70 (Loralai–Dera Ghazi Khan)** have also become accident-prone zones.

Experts cite multiple causes behind this alarming trend — **overspeeding**, **reckless overtaking**, **poor road infrastructure**, **untrained or unlicensed drivers**, **unfit vehicles**, and a **lack of road safety enforcement**.

Accident survivor **Agha Ibrahim**, recalling his 2017 ordeal near **Wadh on the Quetta–Karachi highway**, said, “My leg bone was fractured, and my face was badly injured. I still limp, but I thank God I survived. That scene still haunts me.”

Balochistan’s highways continue to pose grave dangers to thousands of travelers daily. Without urgent and effective government intervention, these vital routes may remain not paths of progress — but **highways of death**.