25 perish in Kohistan bus-car collision

The accident took place when bus travelling from Gilgit to Rawalpindi hit a small car on the Karakoram Highway

CHILAS:

At least 25 people were killed as a passenger bus collided with a car on the Karakoram Highway and fell into a ditch near the Shitial area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Upper Kohistan district late Tuesday night.

According to details, the bus was on its way to Rawalpindi from Gilgit.

Eyewitnesses said that the bus collided with the car because of speeding after which both the vehicles plunged into the ditch.

The area residents retrieved the bodies and the injured and shifted them to Chilas Regional Headquarters Hospital where medics confirmed the death of 25 passengers.

Emergency has been declared in the hospital.

Read: 17 killed in accident near Kohat tunnel

The deceased include 12 people who belong to Gilgit-Baltistan.

Meanwhile, several injured are stated to be in a critical condition while one child is reportedly unaccounted for.

Rescuers reached the site of the crash but could not start their job because of darkness.

President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed profound grief over the mishap and prayed for the deceased and early recovery of the injured.

The premier directed the authorities to extend all possible help to the wounded.

Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Syed Mehdi Shah also expressed deep grief over the loss of precious lives and asked the health department and the rescue officials to take immediate measures to help the injured.