Overloaded vehicles: Road accidents claim five lives, injure 30

Policeman wounded in Lower Dir bomb attack.

TIMERGARA: Five people were killed and over 30 injured in two separate road accidents in Lower and Upper Dir districts, officials said.

An officer at the Chukyatan police station told The Express Tribune that a passenger vehicle capsized when the driver lost control. “Two women were killed, while three others were injured.” The deceased were identified as Shahi Rome Bibi and Haida Bibi.

The passengers were going to a wedding in Chakyatan from Rokhan village when the accident occurred. The injured, most of whom are women, were rushed to the District Headquarter Hospital Upper Dir.

In a separate accident a few hours later, three people, including a child and a woman, were killed, while 27 passengers were injured when a vehicle travelling from Swat to Lower Dir fell into a ravine.

Sadiq Khan, an officer of the Ashbanr police station, said: “There were too many passengers and that seems to be the reason why the driver lost control.”

“Fifteen people were critically injured and rushed to Batkhela Hopsital, while seven others were in Chakdara,” Khan added. An FIR was registered against the driver.

Police van targeted

A policeman was injured when an Improvised Explosive Device exploded near a police van in Nakotal village in Maidan, Lower Dir district, officials said.

Jamilullah an official of Lal Qila police station told The Express Tribune that Zemdara police was on its way to raid a house when on their way back a remote-controlled bomb exploded near their vehicle, injuring SHO Hazrat Hussain.

He added that the SHO was rushed to the hospital where doctors said he was out of danger. “Fifteen suspects were arrested in a search operation conducted in surrounding areas,” said Jamilullah.