Islamabad, June 19 (IANS): At least nine people, including a woman, were killed and 15 others wounded in two accidents on the same highway in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Friday, officials said.

A bus, travelling from Rawalpindi to Rawlakot, fell into a ditch when the driver took a fast turn on a bridge, Dawn reported.

As a result, five people, including a woman, were killed on the spot and some 15 others were injured, of whom two perished on the way to the hospital.

Witnesses said seven of the remaining injured persons were rushed to Rawalpindi and Islamabad on account of their critical condition. Meanwhile, the rest have been provided treatment locally.

In the other accident, a car fell down from the Goin Nullah Road, some 12 km away from Rawalakot, into a ditch at 2 p.m., leaving two people dead and several injured.

Pakistan has an appalling record of fatal traffic accidents due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

Close to 9,000 road accidents have been reported to the police every year since 2011, killing over 4,500 people on average, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).