Three tourists die as tree falls on vehicle

Three tourists and a local died when a large tree fell on a vehicle in Shogran on Saturday.

Mansehra Rescue 1122 Officer Muhammad Amir told The Express Tribune that a tree was uprooted and fell over vehicle No. 444 on Balakot-Shogran Road. The tourists in the jeep including Abid Shah and Amir Hamza, residents of Sindh and Naushahro Feroze respectively, and driver Chaudhry Adeel, who hailed from Azad Kashmir were killed.

According to sources, the tire of the vehicle got punctured and, while replacing it, the weather changed abruptly and strong gusts started to blow. As a result, a gigantic tree weighing tones was uprooted and fell over the vehicle, crushing three people inside and a motorcycle rider, Habibullah. All of them died in the mishap.

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As soon as the incident was reported, SHO Balakot Mudassar Zia and his team reached the spot and with the help of Rescue 112 and locals, the victims’ bodies were pulled out from the perished vehicle.

The bodies were shifted to Balakot Civil Hospital and were later sent to their native areas.

The rain and windstorm started at 7pm, uprooting trees and disrupting power supply in Mansehra, Balakot and Shogran.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^h, 2021.