MINGORA: At least 16 people, eight siblings among them, were killed and seven others injured when a truck plunged into a ravine near Kalam valley on Tuesday.

According to police, a truck carrying about 27 residents of Utror Kalam skidded off the road in the Pishmal area, about 95km off here, and fell into a deep ravine.

Local people and police took the injured and the bodies to the Saidu Sharif Hospital.

Eight children of Mohammad Nazir, identified as Samina, Amina, Faheem, Anjum Abbas, Saliqa Bibi, Nazila, Intayatullah and Ummaya, were among the dead.

Three brothers, Shakirullah, Sohail and Ihsanullah, and their father Noor Mohammad were also killed.

Three other dead included Zahida Bibi, Salma and Saeed.

Five of the injured were identified as Gul Mohammad, Mohammad Nazir, Akhtar Shaheen, Jan Bibi and Mohammad Zaman.

Deputy Commissioner of Swat Mahmood Aslam Wazir told reporters that an emergency had been declared in the Saidu Sharif hospital.

He said heirs of the dead and the injured would get compensation in accordance with the government policy.

The victims of the accident were returning from Punjab where they had gone for harvesting wheat.

Residents of Utror Kalam blamed the dilapidated condition of Kalam road for the accident.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2014