At least 26 people died after a passenger bus that was carrying wedding guests veered off the Thalichi Bridge and plunged into a river in Pakistan, media reports said on Wednesday.

The bride, who was identified as Malaika, only survived the mishap.

She was rushed to hospital for treatment.

“The accident-stricken vehicle has also been retrieved from the river,” Deputy Commissioner Astore, Muhammad Tariq, told ARY News.

Home Minister Shams Lone told the news channel: "Initial investigations suggest that the tragedy occurred due to the vehicle’s loss of control on the slippery surface of the Thalichi Bridge."

He said the cause of the mishap is under investigation.