Bus plunges into ravine in Pakistan, killing 40

Forty people have died after an overcrowded passenger bus plunged into a ravine in Pakistan.

The incident, which left another eight people injured, is one of the country's deadliest road crashes in recent years.

The bus was carrying 48 people when it veered off a highway in the remote Dana Sar area of Balochistan province early on Friday, officials said.

Authorities said the vehicle was overcrowded after taking on passengers from another bus that had broken down while travelling towards Peshawar.

A survivor claimed an argument broke out and one passenger grabbed the driver by the neck shortly before the vehicle went out of control and plunged into the ravine.

The injured were given first aid before being taken to a government hospital in Zhob, around 50 miles from the crash site, while the bodies of those killed were also taken there.

Officials are still working to identify the victims.

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One survivor told local media that some passengers had objected to the driver picking up extra people from the stranded bus.

Police said they are investigating the cause of the crash, and the account has not been independently verified.

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his condolences to the families of those killed and instructed authorities to ensure the injured received the best possible medical care.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan because of poor road conditions, weak enforcement of traffic laws and dangerous driving, particularly on mountainous routes.

In May, 17 people were killed when a minibus crashed into a stationary coach on a motorway in northwestern Pakistan.

And in August last year, more than 34 were killed in two separate bus crashes that took place within two hours.

(c) Sky News 2026: Bus plunges into ravine in Pakistan, killing 40