MUZAFFARABAD, Feb 23: An elderly man died and 32 others, half of them women, were wounded when a passenger bus veered off the road and plunged into a ditch in the southern Kotli district on Sunday, police said.

The accident occurred near Barali village, some 4 kilometres outside the Kotli city, but its cause could not be ascertained immediately, police said, adding that the Kotli bound bus (AJKD- 9493) was coming from Mirpur.

As a result, a 70-year old passenger Nazir Mohammad died.—Staff Correspondent