At least 56 people, including 18 children, were killed when a passenger bus and a goods truck collided head-on in southern Pakistan.
The accident happened near the city of Khairpur, 450km north of Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province.
"The Karachi-bound passenger bus, which was coming from northwestern city of Swat went on the wrong side of the road and collided head-on with a goods container, killing 56 people," said senior local police official Nasir Aftab.
He said 18 passengers were injured in the accident, adding that those killed in the crash included 17 women and 18 children.
A senior doctor at the Khairpur civil hospital confirmed the death toll and said the condition of three of the injured was critical.
Pakistan has an appalling record of fatal road crashes due to poor roads, badly-maintained vehicles and reckless driving.
The emergency services' recovery equipment is basic and when crashes happen away from major towns, as they often do, rescue efforts can take some time, reducing injured passengers' chances of survival.
