Some 25 others wounded as bus carrying revellers falls into ditch. PHOTO: PPI
The bus was travelling from Barral village of Pallandri district to Hajeera, some 180 kilometres away from the AJK capital, according to police. “The driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a sharp curve on the road near Janjahal Hill, and the bus plunged into a 300-foot deep ravine,” a police official told The Express Tribune.
The official also confirmed the toll saying that at least 18 people died on the spot and another 25 were wounded. The bus was reduced to a heap of mangled metal.
Local volunteers pulled out the casualties from the wreckage and shifted them
to the District Headquarters Hospital Pallandri. Medics said some of the injured had been referred to hospitals in Rawalpindi for treatment of their life-threatening wounds.
AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider expressed shock over the tragedy and offered condolences to the bereaved families. He also directed the Pallandri administration to provide free treatment to the injured and hand compensatory cheques among the victims.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2016.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ