MUZAFFARABAD: Four persons, including a toddler, lost their lives and seven others sustained injuries when a jeep skidded off a frost-covered track in the upper belt of Neelum Valley on Sunday, police said.

The victims, including six children aged between one and 14 years, belonged to the same family and were returning from Kel Margala, where they had visited relatives earlier in the day, to their hometown of Sharda. The tragedy occurred just a kilometre into their journey back.

Sharda is located approximately 137 kilometres from Muzaffarabad, while Kel Margala lies 10 kilometres further ahead.

According to Station House Officer (SHO) Zulfiqar Ali in Kel, the vehicle veered off the icy road in subzero temperatures and plunged 300 feet down the mountainside.

The driver, identified as Fidaur Rehman, reportedly jumped out of the vehicle before it fell and fled the scene. “Three passengers died on the spot, while a toddler succumbed to his injuries en route to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Kel,” the SHO said.

The deceased were identified as Khalida Bibi, 33, wife of Aftab Mir; Fatima Bibi, 32, wife of Mohammad Yousaf; her 12-year-old daughter Uzma Bibi; and one-year-old son Shah Zain. The injured included Sharina Mir, 40, and her children Mubashar Mir, 14, and Mustansar Mir, 10; Umar Yousaf, 8; Hajira Bibi, 30; Bibi Maryam, 35; and her 10-year-old daughter Muqaddas.

The SHO confirmed that the driver had been arrested after registration of an FIR.

Meanwhile, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar, and Information Minister Pir Mazhar Saeed expressed profound grief over the tragic accident and extended their condolences to the bereaved families. The prime minister sought a detailed report on the incident and directed authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured, his office said.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2024