Eight killed as Buner-bound van plunges into ravine

At least eight people were killed and 21 others were seriously injured when a Buner bound vehicle plunged into a deep roadside ravine on Tuesday.

The driver of the vehicle was among those killed.

A local nazim told The Express Tribune that a pickup van was travelling from the Dheri village in Shangla to Buner loaded with women, children and men, all hailing from a single village.

Near the Chalandri area, the driver lost control over the wheels of the vehicle while negotiating a sharp turn in the road and plunged around 200 feet into a roadside ravine.

Locals soon rushed to the spot to rescue the injured.

With the force of the crash mangling the frame of the vehicles, locals had to use heavy machinery such as iron cutters to retrieve the dead and injured.

The dead and the injured were shifted to Buner district headquarters hospital for treatment.

The hospital administration told the media most of the injured are in a serious condition, adding that three of them have been referred to Peshawar for further treatment.

Political leaders of the district, including Engineer Ameer Muqam and Special Assistant to the K-P Chief Minister on Public Health Riaz Khan, expressed their sorrow over the incident and the loss of lives.

They asked the hospital to provide the best care to the injured patients.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2020.