At least 12 passengers, including 10 women were killed and 10 others were injured, six of them seriously, when a passenger van plunged into a roadside gorge in the jurisdiction of union council Sirikot on Monday evening. According to police sources, the accident was due to overloading.
The injured and sources claimed that a Toyota Hiace, bearing registration number 1507-Abbotabad carrying 25 passengers, was on its way to Sirikot from Haripur when it reached near Kotkay Bridge and broke down on the steep slope. “The vehicle started moving backward slowly,” said Ghani Shah, one of the passengers travelling on the roof who jumped off to save himself.
He claimed that the driver rushed to stop the vehicle by placing stones against the rear wheels, but it was in-vain as it fell below in the ravine, killing and wounding multiple people. Among those killed were a family of four from the village of Ramdara.
According to hospital sources, six of the ten injured were referred to Ayub Medical Complex Abbottabad in critical condition.“Overloading and lack experience caused the accident,” confirmed Tariq Kha, Deputy Superintendent Police Headquarters, adding that the driver escaped from the scene. The police were searching for him.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 21st, 2012.
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