At least eight people were killed and about 40 others were injured Thursday morning when a bus carrying air force officials was hit by a suicide attacker on a road in eastern Pakistani province of Punjab, said the Pakistani Interior Ministry.

The bus was carrying trainee flying officers when it was attacked by the suicide bomber in the Sargodha district of central Punjab, said the ministry spokesman, Brigadier Javed Cheema.

"Eight air force officials died in the terrorist attack," Cheema said, adding that around 40 were wounded.

"It was a suicide attack and the target was the bus which was carrying the air force officials," chief military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said.

Local press reports said that the bus caught fire after being hit by a man on a bomb-rigged motorcycle.

A large number of ambulances gathered to rush the wounded to the hospitals. All the area hospitals have declared emergency.

Sargodha is home to the largest air force base in Pakistan.

The whole area has been cordoned off with police and army not allowing journalists trespassing the security cordon.

(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2007)