8 killed, 15 injured in Astore accident

GILGIT: At least eight people were killed and over 15 were injured when a vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a deep ravine in the Astore valley of Gilgit-Baltistan, police and other sources said on Tuesday.

“Apparently the cause of the accident is overloading,” a police official said, adding that an investigation into the accident had begun.

The vehicle, with more than 20 passengers on board, was headed towards Astore from Parishing valley when it met with an accident near Thinki village, said Rafie, a resident of Astor said. The valley is located around 100 kilometres from Gilgit.

Police and local volunteers immediately launched a rescue operation to recover the bodies, and the injured were rushed to a government hospital in Astore for treatment.

A day earlier in Gaise valley of Diamer district, eight people had drowned in a river after ropes holding a makeshift chairlift had snapped.