A bus carrying dozens of pilgrims plunged into a ravine in south-west Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 18 passengers, officials said. The pre-dawn crash happened in a remote district of Balochistan province. "A bus carrying 59 pilgrims was returning ... [after] the conclusion of a religious ceremony at a local shrine when it plunged into a ravine, killing 18 people and wounding 41 others," senior local government official Bashir Bazai told AFP. Mr Bazai said the driver was speeding and lost control. Officials with the local tribal police, who have a checkpost near the crash site, and local health officer Sumar Khan also confirmed the casualties. Pakistan has a poor road safety record because of substandard roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving. The crash came days after more than 60 people died when a high-speed train cut through coaches of another service that had derailed minutes earlier in Sindh province.
