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An overcrowded bus fell into a ravine in south-west Pakistan early on Friday, killing 40 people and injuring eight others

At least 40 people have been killed and eight others injured after an overcrowded bus plunged into a ravine in south-west Pakistan.

The crash happened on the Zhob-Sherani Highway in the Dana Sar area, near the border between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, early on Friday, officials said.

"A passenger bus travelling from Quetta to Peshawar plunged into a deep ravine in the mountainous Dana Sar area," Sanaullah Sherani, the head of Zhob district’s emergency centre, told the AFP news agency. "The bus fell approximately 70 to 80 feet into the ravine."

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said the bus was carrying both its own passengers and people from another bus that had broken down, causing it to be overcrowded. He said rescuers were working to identify those killed in the crash.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the crash, offering condolences to the families of the victims and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

In a statement, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also expressed grief and urged authorities to ensure those injured receive the best possible medical care.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan due to poor road conditions, inadequate enforcement of traffic laws and unsafe driving practices, particularly in mountainous regions.

In May, 17 people were killed and five others were injured when a minibus crashed into a bus parked along a motorway in north-west Pakistan.

In January, 24 people were killed and 45 others were injured in two separate road crashes just hours apart.

The first occurred in Sargodha in Punjab province, where a truck carrying passengers and cargo skidded off the road and fell into a canal in heavy fog, killing 14 people and injuring nine others.

Hours later, 10 people were killed and 36 others injured when a speeding passenger bus overturned on the Makran Coastal Highway in Balochistan. Police said the bus was travelling from Karachi, a city in the southern Sindh province, to Jiwani, a town in Balochistan.

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