Islamabad: All 17 people on a van, including 16 members of a family, were killed when their vehicle plunged into the Indus river in Pakistan’s mountainous Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, according to a ‘Dawn News’ report Tuesday. The vehicle was heading from Chilas to Rawalpindi when the accident occurred in the Paniba area of Kohistan district late Monday night. The van was privately hired by the family for a visit.
Dasu-Kohistan Control Room officials said besides the driver, the van had 16 passengers from the same family, including women and children. All perished in the accident.
The accident took place when the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a sharp turn. It veered off into the Indus River and got submerged soon after.
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Rescue teams were trying to locate the missing passengers Tuesday. However, they were facing hurdles due to the difficult terrain and depth of the river. Professional divers along with local volunteers have been called for carrying out the rescue operation.
Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid expressed deep sorrow over the incident.
Just a week ago, at least nine people had drowned when a jeep plunged into the Yarkhoon River after hitting the safety railing of a suspension bridge in the Yarkhoon Valley.
The roads linking the northern regions of Pakistan pass through some of the most treacherous mountains, causing frequent mishaps.