MUZAFFARABAD: A man and a woman got killed and as many passengers sustained injuries when a huge boulder fell onto a passenger coach in Neelum valley of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Monday, an official said.

Separately, another passenger coach from Neelum valley overturned in the territorial limits of district Muzaffarabad, leaving the driver, his helper and 10 passengers wounded.

In the first accident, a big boulder hit the right side of a passenger coach (FDQ-9069) which had started its journey from Sharda, near Simari village at about 10:45am, shattering its two windows and causing on the spot death of two passengers seated behind them, said Khalid Aziz, an official in district headquarters Athmuqam.

The deceased were identified as Rukhtaj Bibi, 35, wife of Ashraf and Muhammad Saeed Abbasi, 30, son of Nawab Khan, he said, adding, the injured persons Mehran Mir and Muhammad Nadeem were out of danger.

Quoting a senior who had visited the accident site, Mr Aziz said the surface of the roadside mountain had loosened due to a jungle fire in the area on Sunday night which could possibly have triggered the fall of the boulder.

In the second accident, another coaster (FDQ-9666), coming to Muzaffarabad from Athmuqam, overturned near Dunga Kas, some six or so kilometres from here on main Neelum valley road, at about 11:45am allegedly due to the negligence of driver, police official Akbar Kiani told Dawn.

As a result, driver Amjad Butt, his helper Asad Mashkoor and passengers Sha’ban, Bashiruddin, Samina Rehman, Muhammad Zaraaf, Khalid Yousaf, Abdul Manan, Azmat, Zohaib Ali, Shahmir Shahid and Munir Ahmed were injured. Of them, the last three persons belonged to Shakar Garh, Wah Cantt. and Sargodha respectively, while the rest were from Neelum and Muzaffarabad districts.

The victims were taken to CMH Muzaffarabad where driver and his helper had been hospitalised owing to their critical condition, Mr Kiani said.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2024