17 killed as passenger van plunges into ravine in Pakistan

Islamabad   :  At least 17 were killed and one woman was injured when a passenger van fell into a ravine in Pakistan's north Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Sunday night, media reported.

The van, carrying 18 passengers, was on its way to Rawalpindi city of the country's east Punjab province when the accident happened, according to Geo News, reports Xinhua news agency.

The ill-fated van was carrying passengers from the country's north Gilgit-Baltistan region, and it met the accident in Kohistan district of the KP, the report added. 

Local residents said that the accident happened when the van driver lost control the vehicle while taking a sharp turn at Karakoram Highway.

The van fell into hundreds feet deep ravine, and it took rescue teams several hours to recover the bodies.

One woman miraculously survived in the accident, but her condition is not known yet.