GILGIT: A newly-married Pakistan Air Force officer, his wife and five of their relatives met with an accident on Wednesday when their car fell into the River Indus while negotiating a dangerous turn, known as Bunbong Pardi, in Kharmang district.

Three bodies of the victims have been recovered while the search for others was under way until the filing of this report.

According to police, the pilot, his wife and their relatives were travelling to Skardu from the Olding area of Kharmang district.

Rescue 1122 personnel, police and local volunteers immediately started a search operation after being informed of the incident.

The spot where the accident took place is notorious for such accidents and several locals have also been killed in similar traffic accidents here in the past.

“At Bunbong Pardi point, the road is extremely narrow and the turning is very dangerous and any mistake at this point means fall of the vehicle into the deep Indus River and certain deaths,” Gulzar Hussain, a local resident, told Dawn.

Mr Hussain said that local people had been demanding the area leaders and the government for a long time to widen the road at this dangerous point or construct an alternative of the section of the road to avoid recurring deaths at the place, but the authorities had paid no heed to their pleadings.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2022