Islamabad,Chakwal: In a tragic accident on Monday at least 45 students were killed and several others were wounded when a bus overturned near Kallar Kahar Chakwal on the motorway, DawnNews reported.

The bus was returning from a school trip to a salt mine popular with tourists when it plunged into a ditch.

Police officer Irshad Hussein says 40 other people on the bus were injured. The accident happened in Kalar Kahar, around 160 kilometers east of the capital Islamabad.

According to police, the incident took place due to brake failure.

The victims, aged between 12 to 20,  belonged to Millat Grammar School Faisalabad. More than 107 students were aboard the bus.

Rescue teams and police reached the scene and shifted the dead and wounded to the nearby hospitals.

Pakistan has one of the worlds worst records for deadly traffic accidents, blamed on poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

At least seven children were killed in June when their bus fell into a canal in Pakistan-held Kashmir.