ISLAMABAD - At least 40 people were killed on Sunday morning after a passenger bus fell in a ditch in the Lasbela district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, government authorities said.

According to reports, the coach crashed into the pillar of a bridge while it was taking a U-turn near the Chinki stop in Bela area of the district and eventually fell into a ravine and caught fire.

The authorities said the accident took place due to over-speeding.

The rescue work has been underway to recover the victims, government authorities said, adding that nearly 50 passengers were aboard the bus.

The local authorities told media that three people including a woman and a child had been rescued alive, however, more casualties are feared from the accident.