Pakistan: 22 killed As Bus Falls into Ravine in Kashmir

At least 22 passengers were killed on Wednesday in Pakistan's part of Kashmir after a bus skidded off a mountain road and fell into a deep ravine.

Senior police official Fayyaz Abbasi revealed that the accident took place in Pulandri, a district in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.

Abbasi said several passengers were also injured in the crash and rescuers transported the dead and injured to a nearby hospital.

The police feared the death toll could rise as some injured were listed in critical condition. It was not clear what caused the accident.

Road accidents are common in mountainous Kashmir and elsewhere in Pakistan. They are often blamed on poorly maintained vehicles and highways, and widespread disregards to traffic rules by drivers.

Kashmir has been pided between Pakistan and neighboring India since their independence from British rule in 1947. The two countries each claim Kashmir in its entirety and have fought three wars between them over it.