RAWALPINDI, July 17: Nine people were killed and 42 others injured when a bus plunged into a ravine near Kahuta on Tuesday. Four of the injured were reported in critical condition.

According to police, the driver lost control over the bus carrying more than 50 passengers to Rawalpindi from Nehr village, apparently due to brake failure, and the vehicle fell into a ravine near Punjari.

The driver, Zubair Hussain, 55, and his three sons were among the injured. His another son, four-year-old Amanullah died.

The bodies and the injured were pulled out by rescuers and police after cutting the wreckage of the vehicle and taken to hospitals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Fifteen of the injured were admitted to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital.

A survivor told Dawn that when the bus reached a sharp turn the driver started shouting that he had lost control over the vehicle and passengers should jump out if they could.

Those killed were identified as Tariq Hussain, Aurangzaib, Mohammad Ibrahim, Waqarul Hassan, Junaid Zareef, Mohammad Aziz, Amanullah, Arif Hussain and Shakeel Ilyas.