At least 40 people were killed and eight others injured after a passenger bus plunged into a ravine in southwestern Pakistan early Friday, officials said.
The bus was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar when it lost control in the mountainous Dana Sar area near the border of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces before plunging about 70 to 80 feet into a rocky ravine.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said the bus was overcrowded as it had taken aboard passengers from another bus that had broken down.
Police believe speeding may have caused the crash, though an investigation is underway.
Rescue teams used heavy equipment to recover bodies and rescue the injured from the wreckage in the rugged terrain. Authorities are working to identify the victims.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Road accidents are common in Pakistan due to poor road safety, weak enforcement of traffic laws and reckless driving.
