MUZAFFARABAD: Six­teen people, among them a woman and an army man, were killed and around 37 others injured on Monday in a road accident in Bhimber district, Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

DIG Mirpur Dr Khalid Chauhan told Dawn that a Samahni-bound coaster plunged into a ravine at around 9.30am because of reckless driving, about 1.5km from Poona village.

The vehicle had covered a 40km distance from Mirpur when it met with the accident and according to witnesses it was carrying passengers beyond its seating capacity of 42.

The DIG said that while negotiating a sharp bend ahead of Phota Poona Bridge, the speeding vehicle went out of the driver’s control and fell into the ravine after hitting the metallic fence.

Nine people died on the spot and 43 others suffered injuries. Of them seven succumbed to their wounds on way to or in hospitals, he said.

Fifteen of the dead were identified as Ishtiaq, Rasib (conductor), Haji Qurban Hussain and his son Mohammad Rehan, Zeeshan alias Chand, Fazal Karim, Hafiz Azhar Rafiq, Mohammad Deen, Majeed Shaikh, Zarina, Raja Azeem, Safdar Ali (serviceman), Saeed Agha, Hammad Mehmood and Usman. The name of the sixteenth, a child, could not be ascertained.

The DIG said seven of the injured, including driver Rafiullah, had been admitted to the DHQ hospital Mirpur.

A case has been registered against the driver, he added.

Road accidents frequently take place in AJK and are mainly to be blamed on reckless driving and unfit vehicles than the treacherous or dilapidated roads.

On July 13, at least 12 people were killed and 14 others wounded in an accident in Bagh, also because of over-speeding.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2014