PESHAWAR, Pakistan - A bus veered off a narrow mountain road and plunged into a river in northern Pakistan on Thursday, leaving about 34 people missing and feared dead, police said.

The bus ran off the road near the scenic tourist destination of Gilgit, police official Mohammed Nasir said.

He said rescue teams had been sent to the area, but so far no bodies had been recovered from the fast-flowing Indus River.

The bus cleaner managed to jump off the vehicle before it fell into the water, and he told officials that soldiers were among the dozens of passengers on the vehicle, said Manzur Hussain, another police officer in the area.

It was unclear how many people were on the bus, but the cleaner told police there were about 35 passengers.

Such accidents are common in Pakistan, where roads are often poorly maintained and drivers regularly disregard traffic rules.

Military officials could not immediately be reached for comment.