While traveling to a shrine in southwestern Pakistan, at least 17 religious pilgrims died and 41 others were injured in a crash, officials said. 

District deputy commissioner Munir Ahmed, who confirmed the toll, also told AFP that the crash occurred around 10 pm (1700 GMT) on the night of April 10 in Hub District of Balochistan Province.

"The truck was overspeeding and it went out of the driver's control while negotiating a turn" and fell into a ravine as they approached the shrine, Ahmed said.

The deputy medical superintendent of Hub's main hospital, Shaukat Jalbani, also confirmed that 17 people died, adding that most of the injured had been sent to nearby Karachi city for treatment.

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Back in August

Such accidents with high fatalities are common in Pakistan.

At least 18 people burned to death on August 20 last year when an overnight bus smashed into another vehicle carrying diesel in eastern Pakistan, officials confirmed.

The accident took place on a motorway at around 4:30 am (2330 GMT on Saturday) near the town of Pindi Bhattian in eastern Punjab province. 

"Within five minutes, the whole bus was engulfed in flames. Eighteen people burned alive whereas 16 others were injured, of whom four are critical," senior police officer Fahad Ahmed told AFP on the phone. 

"It seems that the driver of the bus dozed off," Ahmed suggested. 

The open-back van was carrying barrels of diesel and petrol.

It is noteworthy that in January last year, at least 40 people died when a bus plunged off a bridge in southwestern Pakistan and burst into flames.