25 killed as bus plunges into ravine in Pakistan

All 25 passengers onboard a bus were killed on Monday when the vehicle veered off a mountain road and plunged into a deep ravine in northern Pakistan, authorities said.

The passenger bus was on its way from Rawalpindi to Skardu when it fell into the ravine at Roundu near Gilgit, according to Faizullah Firaq, a spokesperson of the Gilgit-Baltistan government.

Firaq said the bus was carrying 25 passengers when the accident occurred.

The cause of the mishap was not known, he added.

All the 25 passengers onboard the bus were killed, Skardu Deputy Commissioner Khurram Pervaiz said.

Meanwhile, Roundu Assistant Commissioner Ghulam Murtaza said eight bodies have been recovered so far.

Pakistan Army helicopters are carrying out operations to retrieve the remaining bodies, he added.

Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Raja Jalal Hussain Maqpoon expressed grief over the tragedy and instructed the authorities to speed up the rescue operation.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan. Most of them are caused due to reckless driving and bad roads.

In September last year, at least 27 people, including 10 Pakistan Army soldiers, were killed and more than 15 wounded when a passenger bus rammed into a mountain in Babusar Pass which connects Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with Gilgit Baltistan.