Five die as passenger bus falls into ravine in AJK

Seven of 15 injured are stated to be in a critical condition, says deputy commissioner

At least five people died while 15 others were injured when a passenger bus fell into a ravine near Chakswari, some 35 kilometres from Mirpur, Azad Kashmir on Saturday.

Seven of the 15 people injured in the accident were stated to be in a critical condition.

According to Deputy Commissioner Mirpur Chaudhry Amjad Iqbal, the bus was on its way to Mirpur from Dadayalwent with around 50 passengers when its tie-rod broke, causing the incident.



The deceased were identified  Nazir Hussain (bus driver), Mangta Khan, Muhammad Hussain, Noor Muhammad and Zainab Bibi.

Some of the injured received treatment at district hospital Mirpur while others were admitted to nearby hospitals or discharged after treatment, the commissioner added quoting doctors.

In another tragic incident on Thursday, a bridegroom and five other members of a wedding party were killed when a speeding bus rammed into their car near the Bostan area on the Quetta-Kila Saifullah Road.



Such was the impact of the crash that the sedan was reduced to a crumpled heap of metal, as the authorities used welding torches and cutters to retrieve the bodies from the wreckage.

On May 14, a woman was killed and 18 others were injured when a passenger bus skidded off the road and plunged into a ravine in the Hattian Bala area, AJK.