Seven die as jeep plunges into a gorge in Kargah Valley
According to police, the accident may have occurred because of rash driving.
GILGIT:
Seven people, including four women, were killed on Thursday when a vehicle skidded off a road and plunged into a gorge in the Kargah Valley, about 25 kilometres from Gilgit, the police said.
The vehicle – a 4x4 – was heading towards Gilgit with more than a dozen passengers on board when the accident occurred.
“Seven people, including the driver, have been killed,” the police said.
An official of Gilgit’s City police station said that the driver “may have lost control of the vehicle because of rash driving.”
According to reports, all passengers were residents of the Valley, where laws regarding road safety and vehicle maintenance are usually overlooked due to lack of education and poverty.
The police also said that at least one child is missing in the incident, adding that they and local volunteers are searching for the body in the gorge.
During summer, Kargah attracts many tourists who travel to the scenic valley from all over the country.
However, accidents are a frequent occurrence in the valley as narrow roads with sharp turns are devoid of traffic signals making it hard for drivers to negotiate sharp turns or landslides.
Last week, teenagers Rakishan Fatima and Shakila, who were on a picnic trip with their parents, drowned in a river when they slipped off a cliff while photographing each other.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 27th, 2011.
Seven people, including four women, were killed on Thursday when a vehicle skidded off a road and plunged into a gorge in the Kargah Valley, about 25 kilometres from Gilgit, the police said.
The vehicle – a 4x4 – was heading towards Gilgit with more than a dozen passengers on board when the accident occurred.
“Seven people, including the driver, have been killed,” the police said.
An official of Gilgit’s City police station said that the driver “may have lost control of the vehicle because of rash driving.”
According to reports, all passengers were residents of the Valley, where laws regarding road safety and vehicle maintenance are usually overlooked due to lack of education and poverty.
The police also said that at least one child is missing in the incident, adding that they and local volunteers are searching for the body in the gorge.
During summer, Kargah attracts many tourists who travel to the scenic valley from all over the country.
However, accidents are a frequent occurrence in the valley as narrow roads with sharp turns are devoid of traffic signals making it hard for drivers to negotiate sharp turns or landslides.
Last week, teenagers Rakishan Fatima and Shakila, who were on a picnic trip with their parents, drowned in a river when they slipped off a cliff while photographing each other.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 27th, 2011.