Islamabad, Nov 3 (IANS): Fifteen people were killed and 10 others seriously injured after a passenger van fell into a ravine in Pakistan on Wednesday, police said.

The van carrying 25 people fell into the deep ravine when the driver tried to negotiate a sharp turn in the mountainous terrain of Kotli district, a local policeman told Xinhua news agency.

He said that the accident took place at about 10 a.m. and the van was destroyed in the incident.

Rescue work is underway and the bodies and the injured are being recovered by volunteers and rescue officials.

"The condition of all of the recovered injured people is very serious and doctors at a nearby hospital are trying hard to save them," he added.

The van was on its way to Rawalpindi from a town in Kotli district.

"The fan fell deep into the ravine, far away from the road after sliding off from the mountain, and it is taking rescue teams a lot of effort to recover the injured and the bodies," he added.