A packed passenger bus plunged 80 feet into a rocky ravine in Pakistan after a furious rider allegedly grabbed the driver by the neck during an argument over overcrowding, leaving 40 people dead.

The horrific crash happened Friday morning as the bus traveled between Quetta and Peshawar through the treacherous Dhana Sar mountain range in southwestern Pakistan.

Photos from the remote crash site showed the pink coach almost completely crushed at the bottom of the ravine as rescue workers and civilians carried victims up the steep, rocky slope.

Dozens of body bags could be seen lined up near the mangled wreckage.

According to one of just eight survivors, tensions erupted after a passenger became angry that the driver continued picking up more people despite the bus already being overcrowded.

The passenger allegedly grabbed the driver around the neck during the confrontation, causing the vehicle to skid off the road and tumble into the ravine.

Authorities stressed that the survivor’s disturbing account has not yet been independently confirmed. Police are investigating the official cause of the crash.

The injured survivors were rushed to a hospital in Zhob, more than 50 miles from the crash site in Pakistan’s Balochistan region near the Afghanistan border.

Officials said the bodies of the 40 victims — including men, women and children — were transported to another hospital.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti offered condolences to the grieving families.

Bugti said in a statement posted on X that he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy and ordered a formal investigation into how the bus ended up plunging from the mountain road.

“I extend my condolences to the families of the deceased and pray for the swift recovery of the injured,” he wrote.

Deadly bus crashes are tragically common in Pakistan, where unsafe roads, overcrowded vehicles and reckless driving have long been blamed for transportation disasters.

In 2024, 35 Eid pilgrims were killed in two separate bus crashes that occurred only hours apart.

One bus plunged into a ravine in Kahuta, near Islamabad, while another crashed in Balochistan after its brakes reportedly failed.

In May, 17 people were killed when a minivan slammed into a parked bus in Peshawar. Police blamed reckless driving for that crash.

Earlier this year, Balochistan’s transportation department introduced a mandatory tracking system designed to identify speeding and erratic driving by passenger buses.

Officials said the technology would make it easier to gather evidence and take legal action against dangerous drivers.

Pakistan recorded 16,626 road accidents last year, according to recently released figures. A 2024 Gallup Pakistan poll also found that buses and rickshaws remained among the country’s most popular forms of transportation.