The crash occurred when a passenger bus travelling from Swat to Peshawar in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province developed a mechanical fault and stopped on the roadside.

Passengers had stepped out of the vehicle and were waiting nearby when a van lost control and ploughed into the crowd and the parked bus.

“At least 17 people have been killed and more than 10 injured,” Bilal Ahmad Faizi, a rescue official told AFP, adding that three of the injured were in critical condition.

Muhammad Ali, a doctor at a local hospital receiving the victims, also confirmed the death toll.

Many of the passengers were travelling home ahead of Eid, one of the most important religious festivals in the Muslim calendar.

Road accidents remain common in Pakistan due to weak enforcement of traffic laws, speeding, poor road safety standards, and reckless driving.