One killed as van falls into Mansehra ravine

MANSEHRA: At least one passenger died while 13 others, including women and children, were injured when a passenger van fell into a ravine on Sarwai road in Ghari Habibullah on Monday.

Police said that an overloaded van fell into a deep gorge while making a sharp turn at Talpatta village on Sarwai road.

As a result, 14 people including eight women and three children were injured.

Muhammad Javed’s 14-year-old son Bilal was severely injured. He was first taken to Civil Hospital in Ghari Habibullah before being transferred to the King Abdullah Hospital in Mansehra due to non-availability of staff.

However, the young boy died on the way.

Families of the injured children and villagers later blocked the road for an hour in protest. They raised slogans against the negligence of the staff at the Ghari Habibullah Civil Hospital.

The crowd only dispersed after SHO Yasir Khan and district council member Sardar Muhammad Saeed assured the protestors of a departmental inquiry against the hospital staff.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2017.