Blood and body parts flew into the road when the device exploded at the back of the coach as it ferried government employees home in Peshawar city, to the north of the country.
The carnage was made worse by the fact that many of the victims were reportedly sitting on the roof of the bus as it travelled - a common practice in Pakistan.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the finger appears to point towards militants battling the government in the northwest of the country who often target troops, officials and symbols of the state.
Devastating: The device exploded in the back of the coach which was carrying government employees in northern Pakistan
Search for survivors: There was no immediate
claim of responsibility but militants battling the government in the
northwest of the country often target troops, officials and symbols of
the state
Horror: People carry injured victims to a
hospital on stretchers. A witness said dozens of people sitting on the
roof of the bus - a common sight in this country's overcrowded traffic -
were thrown to the side
Wrecked: Pakistani television showed images of the bus with its tail end completely mangled
The bomb went off as the bus was traveling through the outskirts of the city of Peshawar, the provincial capital. It was carrying employees at the end of the work week back to their home city of Charsadda.
The explosion also wounded 42 people, said police officer Arif Khan. Pakistani television showed images of the bus with its tail end completely mangled.
Desperate: A woman carries an injured boy a hospital
Terror: Militants in northern Pakistan who are
trying to overthrow the government and establish a hard-line Islamic
state have been waging war in the northwest against the military
Negotiations: Pakistan's newly elected
government came into office in June with a promise to open negotiations
with the militants to end years of conflict
Little comfort: The talks seem to have gone
nowhere so far, and the militants have continued with attacks such as
the one on Friday
Bad end to week: The bomb went off as the bus was
traveling through the outskirts of the city of Peshawar, the provincial
capital. It was carrying employees at the end of the work week back to
their home city of Charsadda
One witness who was not identified told Pakistan's Geo Television channel that he was driving his car behind the bus when the blast ripped open the back end. He said dozens of people sitting on the roof of the bus - a common sight in this country's overcrowded traffic - were thrown to the side.
Militants in northern Pakistan who are trying to overthrow the government and establish a hard-line Islamic state have been waging war in the northwest against the military.
Pakistan's newly elected government came into office in June with a promise to open negotiations with the militants to end years of conflict.
But the talks seem to have gone nowhere so far, and the militants have continued with attacks such as the one on Friday.
Last Sunday, two suicide bombers attacked a church in Peshawar, killing dozens of Christians who were just finishing their service. Militants in northwestern Pakistan also killed a major general in the Pakistan Army earlier in September.
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