At least five students have died and twelve others are missing after a bridge collapsed at a tourist site in Pakistani Kashmir, officials have said, adding there was little hope of finding survivors.
The bridge, which overlooked a ravine in the mountainous Neelum district, collapsed after some three dozen university students walked across it to view a waterfall.
"We have recovered four bodies of boys and one of a girl," a senior government official in Kashmir said.
"Twelve others are still missing and we don't have any hope about them (surviving) because the water is very cold," the official added.
It is understood at least eight other students were injured in the incident.
A local police official confirmed the toll and said that the authorities had posted a warning near the bridge, telling visitors to walk across it in small numbers because it was only designed to accommodate five people at a time.
"The bridge collapsed because around 40 people climbed it... at the same time," the official said.
"Its cemented foundation could not sustain the weight", the official added.
The scenic Himalayan region is a popular tourist destination but lacks infrastructure.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947, but both claim the territory in full.
