At Least 40 Killed as Overcrowded Bus Plunges into Ravine 

At least 40 people were killed and eight others injured after a speeding, overcrowded passenger bus plunged off a highway and crashed into a rocky ravine in southwestern Pakistan early Friday, officials said.

The deadly crash happened in Dana Sar, a remote mountainous area near the border of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

Authorities said the driver lost control of the bus before it left the roadway and tumbled into the ravine.

The bus was carrying 48 people at the time of the crash, including passengers picked up from another bus that had broken down along the route.

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said the additional passengers left the vehicle dangerously overcrowded.

Rescue crews rushed to the scene and worked to pull victims from the wreckage while officials began the difficult process of identifying those killed.

One injured survivor told local media from his hospital bed that several passengers became angry when the driver stopped to pick up people from the disabled bus, which was also headed to Peshawar.

According to the survivor, an argument broke out and one passenger allegedly grabbed the driver by the neck.

Moments later, the driver reportedly lost control and the bus plunged into the ravine.

That account has not been independently verified, and police said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Eight injured passengers were given emergency treatment at the scene before being taken to the district headquarters hospital in Zhob.

The bodies of the 40 victims were transported to a nearby district hospital.

Hazrat Wali Kakar, a regional government administrator, said emergency crews worked through the difficult terrain to move the dead and injured to medical facilities.

Rescue teams from both Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa took part in the operation.

Shah Fahad, director general of rescue services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said authorities would transport the bodies of any victims from the province back to their hometowns to help grieving families.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the tragedy and offered condolences to the families of those killed.

He also ordered authorities to make sure the injured received the best available medical care.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also expressed grief over the crash and issued similar instructions to local officials.

Deadly road accidents are common in Pakistan, where poor road conditions, weak enforcement of traffic laws and unsafe driving practices remain major problems, especially in mountainous regions.

In May, 17 people were killed and five others injured when a minibus slammed into a bus parked along a highway in northwestern Pakistan.