12 dead as Pak bus hits power cable

The bus was heading for the town of Rahim Yar Khan, 400km south of Islamabad, but had to take a diversion as the main road was closed for repairs, local police chief Syed Ahsan Mahboob told AFP.

A bicycle on the roof of the bus then hit the high-tension overhead transmission line, triggering the blaze, he said.

"Twelve people including two women, two children and eight men died on the spot," Mahboob added. "Six others were rushed to hospital where their condition was reported as critical."

Pakistan has the world's third highest death rate from road accidents, the government says. Reckless drivers, overcrowded vehicles and poor roads are usually blamed for the high number of fatalities.