Road accident: Four women among 12 killed in AJK

MUZAFFARABAD:

Four women are among 12 people killed when a passenger bus fell into a deep ravine near Bagh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Sunday. Another 14 people sustained critical injuries in the accident.

The police said the ill-fated coaster, bearing registration number AJKE-2409, was en route to Rawalpindi from Sudhan Gali when it fell into a gorge while negotiating a sharp turn near Arja, Bagh, killing nine people on the spot.

Residents of the area and rescue teams, along with police officials, shifted the injured to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Bagh. Three other passengers succumbed to their wounds on the way to the hospital whereas five of the critically injured have been shifted to Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayad Al-Nahyan Hospital in Muzaffarabad.

Those who lost their lives have been identified as Ghazi Ismail, Muhammad Saidi, Nasir Masih, Azhar Muhammad, Muhammad Afsar, Ghulam Hussain, Javaya Pir, driver Muhammad Khalid, Zeenat Jan, Aya Jan and Bashira Begum. The body of another female victim has not been identified.

The deceased were shifted to their native areas where they were buried by family and friends. The police, in their initial report, mentioned that the incident was caused due to speeding and negligence of the bus driver who also lost his life in the accident.

Road accidents in AJK are common and usually happen due to reckless driving and the precarious roads.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2014.