KARAKORAM: At least 20 people died while 21 others were injured on Friday morning when a passenger bus overturned on the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district, rescue officials said.

According to Diamer district rescue officer Shoukat Riaz, the bus, which belonged to a private company, was travelling from Rawalpindi to Gilgit when the driver lost control near Gunar Farm.

Subsequently, the bus overturned and landed near the banks of the Indus River, Riaz said. The accident took place at around 5:30am, he said.

The injured have been shifted to Chilas Hospital, the rescue officer said, adding that the number of injured was initially 35 but many succumbed to their injuries.

According to GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq, three women are also among the dead. He noted that a total of 43 passengers were on the bus.

Local resident Mohammad Zaman told Dawn.com that a large number of people had reached the hospital to donate blood to the injured. He said local volunteers helped transfer the injured and bodies to the hospital.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his grief on the loss of lives and conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families.

In a statement, he directed that the injured be provided with “every possible medical treatment”. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also expressed his condolences on the incident and “heartfelt sympathies” with the families of the victims.