At least 40 people were killed when a packed bus plunged into a gorge in Pakistan, officials said

Quetta, Pakistan – A speeding, overcrowded bus plunged off a highway into a rocky river in southwestern Pakistan early Friday, killing 40 people and injuring eight in one of the worst road accidents in years, officials said.

The bus went out of control and fell into the river in Dana Sar, a remote area near the border of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, said Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan government.

He said that this bus was not only carrying its own passengers, but also the passengers of another bus that had broken down, leaving the vehicle overloaded. Rind said rescuers were trying to identify those who died in the accident.

One of the injured survivors told local media from his hospital bed that other passengers protested after the driver stopped to pick up people from another bus that had also broken down and was heading to Peshawar. He said an argument ensued, during which another passenger grabbed the driver by the neck. After a while, the driver lost control of the bus, and it plunged into a ravine.

The account could not be independently verified and police said they are still investigating.

The head of the regional government, Hazrat Wali Kakar, said rescuers transported the injured and the dead to nearby hospitals.

Rescue officials said the bus was carrying 48 passengers when it crashed.

Sanaullah Sherani, head of the emergency center in Zhob district near the scene of the accident, said the bus fell 70 to 80 meters, French news agency AFP reported.

“Since the accident happened in a rugged mountainous area, the rescue teams faced difficulties when they started their work,” he was quoted as saying by AFP.

Eight injured passengers received first aid at the scene before being taken to the district headquarters hospital in Zhob, while the bodies of 40 were taken to the district hospital, officials said.

Shah Fahad, the director general of Rescue in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said that his agency is cooperating with emergency services in Balochistan in rescue and rescue operations. He said that if any of the dead are confirmed to be residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the authorities will transport their bodies in an ambulance to their towns to help their families.

The President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, expressed his grief over the accident, expressed his condolences to the families of the dead and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

He directed the relevant authorities to ensure that the injured receive the best possible medical care.

In a statement, the Chief Minister of Balochistan, Sarfraz Bugti, also expressed grief over the loss of life and directed the authorities to ensure that the injured receive the best possible treatment.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan due to poor road conditions, inadequate enforcement of traffic rules and unsafe driving habits, especially in mountainous areas.

In May, a minibus rammed into a bus parked on a highway in northwest Pakistan, killing 17 people and injuring five.