CHITRAL: All the 18 passengers miraculously escaped unhurt when a coach carrying them plunged into a deep ravine in Shehdas village of Laspur valley. They were coming to Mastuj town from Harcheen village.

Afzal Shah, one of the passengers, told this correspondent on Wednesday that the vehicle all of a sudden skidded off the road and fell into the ravine from a height of tens of feet and stopped a few feet from the river bank.

He said that the villagers of Shehdas rushed to the spot of accident and took out the passengers from the overturned vehicle. He said that all the passengers continued their journey to Mastuj town in another vehicle, as none of them had sustained any injury in the mishap.

CLASH AVERTED: A clash was averted between the people of Mulkhow and Torkhow over the issue of selection of site for establishment of TMA offices of the newly-created Mulkhow-Torkhow tehsil and the matter was resolved amicably as a result of mediation of jirga held here on Wednesday.

The people of Torkhow sub-tehsil of upper Chitral had announced to oppose the setting up of TMA offices in Warijun of Mulkhow sub-tehsil while the members of tehsil council contended that the venue was not easily accessible for them and demanded Booni town to be the tehsil headquarters.

The efforts of reconciliation made by district nazim Maghfirat Shah proved fruitful when the members of both district and tehsil councils from Mulkhow and Torkhow concluded that two offices would be set up for the TMA as well tehsil officers of different departments, including the sub-divisional police officer, at Booni and Warijun.

As per decision, the tehsil municipal officer and other relevant officials will sit for two days of the week in Booni office and for three days in Warijun, while the permanent headquarters would be established at Kagh Lusht. All 18 escape unhurt as van plunges into ravine

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2018