Deadly turn: Eight die in AJK as jeep falls into ravine

Seven other passengers were injured in the accident

MUZAFFARABAD: Eight people, three women among them, were killed and seven others injured in a road accident in Neelum Vallley, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Tuesday.

A passenger van travelling from Jagran to Kundalshai fell in a deep ravine near  Marci, some 105 kilometres from Muzaffarbad.

Locals took part in the rescue operation and pulled the bodies out  from the wreckage. The injured passengers were shifted to Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Hospital, Muzffarabad where doctors confirmed that six of the injured are in critical condition.

Police officials said the van driver had lost control while negotiating a sharp curve.

Those who lost their lives in the accident were identified as Hasna Jan, Shabana, Ayeshia, Syed Ahmad Shah, Siraj
Din, Dilawar Farouz, Naseer Shah and driver Muhammad Shafi.

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Azad Kashmir chapter secretary general Shah Ghulam Qadir blamed the AJK government of killing people in road accidents by issuing fitness certificates to unfit vehicles. He added that poor roads in the region are also behind the repeated road fatalities.

AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed condoled with families of the deceased and asked the health department to ensure free and proper treatment to the injured passengers.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2014.