HARIPUR: Five passengers were killed and 19 injured when a bus fell into a gorge in Khanpur tehsil here on Tuesday. The accident occurred on a hilly road some 20 kilometres from tehsil headquarters, police and district administration officials said.

DSP Khanpur Mohammad Uzair Khan told Dawn that a passenger bus going to Kohala from Rawalpindi skidded off the road and fell into a ravine near Bagran Sarbaroot village. Five passengers died on the spot and 19 sustained injuries.

The deceased were identified as Yasmeen Bibi, Khatoon Bibi, Gula Hasan, Mohammad Zaman and Noor Ahmed.

The villagers and police took the bodies and the injured to the roadside on their backs. The rescue workers then transported the injured to Khanpur Tehsil Headquarters Hospital. Three of the seriously injured were referred to Haripur Trauma Centre.

Meanwhile, tehsil nazim Raja Haroon Sikandar, PTI leaders Raja Shahab Sikandar and Yousuf Ayub Khan reached the hospital and enquired after the injured.

MNA-elect and PTI central leader Omar Ayub Khan also expressed grief over the death of five passengers and condoled with the bereaved families.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2024