A passenger bus plunged 25 meters into a ravine on a highway in Pakistan, leaving 40 people dead and 8 injured.

The accident occurred on July 3, local time, on the Dana Sar highway, a remote area near the border between Balochistan province in southwestern Pakistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the northwest.

The Balochistan provincial government stated that 40 people on board were killed and 8 others were injured in the crash.

The bus had departed from Quetta, Balochistan, on July 2 and was en route to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, said, "The bus was overloaded at the time of the accident, as it had taken on passengers from another bus that had broken down," adding that rescue teams are currently working to identify the victims.

One survivor told local media, "When the driver stopped to pick up passengers from another bus, some (original) passengers protested, leading to an argument." The survivor added, "During the altercation, a passenger grabbed the driver's neck, and shortly after, the bus lost control and plunged into the ravine."

However, the Associated Press reported that local police have not yet verified this statement and that an investigation is ongoing.

As news of the accident spread, hospitals and police stations were flooded with calls from families trying to confirm the fate of their loved ones.

Rescue workers faced difficulties accessing the crash site, as they had to descend a mountainside leading to the 25-meter-deep ravine.

While most of the deceased have been identified through their identification cards, the identities of three bodies remain unknown.

In May 2024, at least 28 people were killed when a passenger bus traveling on a highway in a mountainous region of southwestern Pakistan plunged into a ravine in the early morning hours.