KARACHI: At least 12 people, including three women, were killed when a passenger bus collided with a van near Uthal in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Friday, police said.

Several other passengers were injured in the collision on the highway at Uthal Zero Point, with some in critical condition, raising fears that the death toll could rise, a police officer said.

“The accident occurred when a speeding passenger bus collided head-on with a van coming from the opposite direction at Uthal Zero Point, where the road curves,” Inspector Aftab Malik said.

The bus was travelling from Gwadar to Karachi, while the van was headed from Karachi towards Lasbela, he said.

Rescue operations were under way to evacuate the injured and clear the accident site, Malik said.

The injured had been taken to hospitals for treatment.