The vehicle was on its way to the mountainous town of Chitral from the provincial capital Peshawar, local militia commander Mukarram Khan told reporters.

The driver of the minibus lost control on a sharp bend and the vehicle fell into a ravine near Malakand town, 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of Peshawar, he said.

The dead included three women and an infant girl, while the injured included the driver, his helper and three other women, he said.

Pakistan has the world's third-highest mortality rate from road accidents. Vehicles are often overloaded and poorly maintained, while many roads are treacherous.