Eight people were killed and seven others wounded when a public transport vehicle plunged into a ravine in Mirpur district of Pakistan Administered Kashmir on Sunday.
According to Mirpur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Riaz Haider Bukhari, the accident occurred somewhere between Neel Kacham and Pir Galli villages at about 12:40pm when the ill-fated vehicle was heading towards Samahni in the neighbouring Bhimber district.
“The wagon veered off course while negotiating a curve and fell some 250 feet below the road into a ravine,” he said.
The vehicle was badly damaged and as a result, eight people, including a woman, died on the spot. Another seven, including the driver, received multiple injuries.
Seven of the deceased were identified as Muhammad Ishtiaq, Wasim Sabir, Yasir Mahmood, Abdul Karim, Aazan, Hasnain and Samina Mukhtar.
One of the deceased was taken to his village, Kala Dhab, from the site of the accident and his name is yet to be ascertained, the SSP said.
Six of the injured persons, who were admitted to District Headquarters Hospital, Mirpur, were identified as Mukhtar Hussain, Alina Bibi, Muhammad Waseem (driver), Muhammad Usman, Rukhsana Bibi and 3-year-old Mahnoor. Two of them were stated to be in critical condition, the SSP said.
Road accidents frequently occur in hilly areas and are blamed mostly on dilapidated roads and faulty vehicles.
On March 21 this year, at least nine people, including four women, were killed and five others, including a woman and a minor, were wounded when a passenger jeep plunged into a ravine along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jhelum Valley.
According to residents, most of the vehicles running along different routes have either outlived their normal lifespan or have been locally altered to accommodate a maximum load beyond their actual loading capacity.
Locals have also accused the authorities of turning a blind eye to this issue, despite hue and cry from members of the civil society.