SRINAGAR, Oct 17: India said on Monday that it was seeking news on the fate of 43 bus passengers who crossed into Azad Kashmir before last week’s massive earthquake. “Three other passengers are accounted for and they are well but there is no news of a total of 43 more,” said regional passport officer S.L. Sriramalu.

He confirmed reports that one passenger had died in the quake, which killed 54,000 people in Azad Kashmir and another 1,329 in the Indian zone.

The passengers were among 52 Indian nationals who crossed into Pakistan on the two most recent fortnightly bus trips to Muzaffarabad.

In April, India and Pakistan agreed on the first bus service to link Kashmir in almost 60 years as part of a peace process begun in January 2004.

Five of the Indian passengers have returned via the international border at Wagah and another three have reportedly walked across the heavily-militarised ceasefire Line of Control.

Sriramalu said embassy officials in Islamabad were seeking information on the remaining Indian nationals.

“We are also trying to confirm reports that three other passengers on their own came across the Line of Control,” he said.

Schoolteacher Mohammed Azam Beigh was among those whose relatives are missing.

“My parents and uncle left on the last bus to Muzaffarabad to meet an uncle there and after they telephoned us on October 7 we have received no news from them,” he said.

The army said the service, which was next scheduled to run on October 20, would remain frozen for two months because of damage to the 170km.—AFP