Palandri Deputy Commissioner Omar Farooq confirmed that the bus was travelling from Rawalpindi to Rawalakot when the accident occurred near the Sitar Azad Patan area. The bus fell into a deep ditch, resulting in the tragic loss of life.

The rescue operation has been completed, Farooq said and added that there were over 25 passengers on board the bus. Authorities believe that a mechanical failure caused the accident.

“I have lost three members of my family,” Tara Zafar, who travelled to the hospital after hearing about the accident, told AFP.

Her father, sister and one-year-old nephew were among the dead.

“I hoped that at least one of them had survived. It’s doomsday for my family.”

Sources report that police and rescue officials faced challenges reaching the accident site due to the mountainous terrain. Local residents are assisting in the recovery of bodies and injured passengers.

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his sympathies and sent condolences to the bereaved families. He called for “speeding up relief activities”, per a statement shared by his party, PPP, on X.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was grieved over the loss of lives in the accident. In a statement, he prayed “for the high ranks of the departed souls and patience for their families”.

The premier directed “authorities to provide immediate medical aid to the injured”.

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Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also expressed “heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the families of the deceased” while Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said that she felt “deeply saddened” by the loss of lives“.

“May Allah exalt the ranks of those who died in this tragedy and grant patience to their loved ones,” she said on X.

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also regretted the accident.

Earlier in the day, at least 12 people were killed and over 30 injured when a bus carrying pilgrims from Iran to Punjab fell into a ditch on the Makran Coastal Highway in Lasbela, Balochistan.