Six women die in Neelum Valley jeep accident

Vehicle was carrying women voters for the first phase of local government elections

A jeep carrying voters fell into a deep ravine in the Chhari locality of Dudhnial area of Neelum Valley, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), on Sunday, killing at least six women and injuring eight others, including the driver.

The vehicle was carrying women voters, who were residents of Thanda Pani village, for the first phase of the local government elections that were held after 31 years in three districts of Muzaffarabad Division.

The jeep reportedly skidded off the road and fell into a 300-foot deep ravine around 12.30pm, after which the police launched a rescue operation and shifted the victims’ bodies and the injured to the hospital.

Six women on the ill-fated jeep died on the spot while six others were reportedly in critical condition.

Following the incident, polling was briefly paused.

Citing a disaster management official, a local news outlet reported that the vehicle was carrying more people than it had capacity for.

Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, the prime minister of the autonomous state, expressed grief and sorrow over the incident, terming it “heart-wrenching”. In a tweet, he also revealed that he has directed the administration to provide every possible cooperation to the injured.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also expressed grief over the incident.

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) media cell said on Twitter that the party chief equally shared the grief of the bereaved families, and the local office-bearers and party workers should also share their grief.