According to Murree Deputy Commissioner Agha Zaheer Abbas Shirazi, the tourist vehicle — carrying 23 people from the same family — met with an accident at Khajut on the Murree Expressway.
He said the vehicle was travelling at high speed when it collided with a side wall. The impact triggered a fire in the engine compartment, while the van's sliding door became locked, trapping passengers inside.
A heavy contingent of Motorway Police and the Murree administration reached the site, where rescue and relief operations remained underway.
The deputy commissioner said bodies and injured passengers were being shifted to nearby hospitals, as well as the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.
A Motorway Police spokesperson said the passenger van plunged into a ravine while negotiating a turn near Khajut. The victims also included 10 children, the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson said the van overturned onto the side where its door was located, making it impossible for passengers to open the exit and escape the blaze.
According to Rescue officials, all 23 passengers aboard the van belonged to Multan and had departed for Murree at around 2am.
Rescue 1122 teams, Motorway Police personnel and officials from the Forest Department participated in the rescue operation, while emergency activities continued at the accident site.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Meanwhile, a PIMS spokesperson said 10 injured passengers had been brought to the hospital, adding that the condition of two of them was critical.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families.
She also directed authorities to ensure immediate and the best possible medical treatment for the injured and sought a report on the incident.