Steep road: 5 die as parked pickup slips into gorge

BATKHELA: Five people, including two children, died and 16 others were injured when a pickup plunged into a gorge in Khadagzai, Lower Dir, near Malakand district on Friday. Eyewitnesses said the pickup was on its way from Khadagzai to Batkhela. On the way, the driver stopped on a steep road and parked the vehicle there. “Since the driver left the vehicle in neutral gear before he stepped out, it slid back.”  The vehicle slowly started moving in reverse and fell into the nearby gorge. Five passengers died on the spot while 16 others were injured. Locals and volunteers of Al-Khidmat Foundation reached the site and pulled out the deceased and injured. They were all rushed to hospitals.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2015.