In this file photo dated May 11, 2022, policemen look at the wreckage of a passenger bus after an accident on the Indus Highway, Sehwan road, some 71 km from Hyderabad. (PHOTO / AFP)

ISLAMABAD - At least 40 people were killed on Sunday morning after a passenger bus fell in a ditch in the Lasbela district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, government authorities said.

According to reports, the coach crashed into the pillar of a bridge while it was taking a U-turn near the Chinki stop in Bela area of the district and eventually fell into a ravine and caught fire.

The authorities said the accident took place due to over-speeding.

The rescue work has been underway to recover the victims, government authorities said, adding that nearly 50 passengers were aboard the bus.

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The local authorities told media that three people including a woman and a child had been rescued alive, however, more casualties are feared from the accident.