14 killed in Pakistan bus plunge

Fourteen people were killed when a passenger bus plunged off a mountain road into a deep ravine in north-western Pakistan today, police said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the accident in Balakot, about 180 miles north-east of Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province.

Zaman Khan, an area police official, said police were recovering the bodies and taking them to a hospital. He said an investigation was under way.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan. Many are blamed on widespread disregard for traffic, poorly maintained roads and the long hours worked by public transport drivers.