Pakistan: Bus crash in the north kills at least 20

A bus plunged into a deep valley in Pakistan's mountainous northern region on Friday, killing at least 20 people.

The bus was carrying around 40 passengers from the city of Rawalpindi near the capital, Islamabad, to the northern mountainous region of Gilgit-Baltistan, near the border with China, Fayyaz Ahmed, a local official, told the German DPA news agency.

What do we know about the crash?

The driver lost control of the vehicle on a bend near the city of Chilas in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, falling into a rocky ravine where the River Indus flows, the French AFP news agency reported.

Ahmed told the DPA that speeding on slippery highways after heavy rains and muddy landslides usually results in accidents in the region.

"The local Ulema [Muslim leader] announced the news of the accident from the loudspeaker of the mosque and urged the people to donate blood for the injured," Azmat Shah, a police official in the city, told AFP.

He added that rescue operations were completed, with 21 injured reported, including five in critical condition.

Rescuers backed by army helicopters recovered the victims from rugged terrain, DPA cited regional Chief Minister Dilbar Khan as saying. 

Road accidents with high death tolls are common in Pakistan, often due to poor transport infrastructure and driver training, poorly maintained vehicles, as well as lax safety measures.

rmt/sms (AFP, DPA)