The bodies of passengers who died in the crash "are beyond recognition," a senior official said. Thousands of people each year die in road accidents in Pakistan due to lax safety rules and poor road quality.

At least 40 people have reportedly died after a passenger bus fell off a bridge into a ravine and burst into flames on Sunday morning in Pakistan's Balochistan province.

There were 48 passengers on board travelling from Quetta to Karachi, a local official said, adding that the death toll is likely to rise. 

What do we know about the crash?

There were 48 passengers on board the bus when it crashed, according to Hamza Anjum, a senior official from the Lasbela district.

Three people, including a child and a woman have been rescued alive so far, Anjum told the Pakistani news website Dawn.

"Due to speeding, the coach crashed into the pillar of a bridge while taking a U-turn near Lasbela. The vehicle subsequently careened into a ravine and then caught fire," he told Dawn.

Speaking to reporters at the accident site, Anjum said authorities would conduct DNA tests to identify the remains of the passengers, as their remains had been "badly mutilated."

"The dead bodies...are beyond recognition," he was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.

Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, the chief minister of Balochistan, offered his condolences and called on authorities and rescue teams to provide the best medical facilities to the survivors of the crash.

Road safety issues

Major road accidents occur regularly in Pakistan, with poor road quality, lax safety rules and reckless driving contributing to the number of fatal accidents.

Over 27,000 people were killed on Pakistan's roads and highways according to 2018 estimates by the World Health Organization.

Bus accidents and resultant deaths are common because the vehicles are often filled to capacity and seatbelts are not frequently used.

mk/rs (AFP, dpa, AP)

DW