MANSEHRA: Japan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Akamatsu Shuichi remained safe in a road accident on Monday.

The mishap occurred after the brakes of the vehicle the ambassador was traveling in failed, leading to a collision with a police escort van, which subsequently fell into a deep ravine in the Makriha Jandwal area.

Ten police officers, including a station house officer and two women constables, were injured. They were shifted to King Abdullah Teaching Hospital for emergency care.

The ambassador’s vehicle was damaged but all those riding in it, including him, remained unharmed.

He, along with his embassy’s staff members, was returning to Islamabad after inaugurating a newly-carpeted link road in the Jandwal area of Shinkiari.

District police officer Shafiullah Khan Gandapur confirmed brake failure and the injury of 10 police personnel in the accident, and said that the injured were shifted to a local health centre.

“All injured were provided emergency care at the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital. Their condition is now stable,” he said.

The DPO said that the police had made foolproof security arrangements for the ambassador’s visit, while patrol and escort vehicles were also provided.

He said that he had submitted a detailed report about the accident to the provincial police chief.

Mr Gandapur later visited the hospital to inquire after the injured.

According to a list issued by the police department, the injured included SHO of the Shinkiari police station Saqib Khan, assistant sub-inspector Hamza Khan, constables Mohammad Shehbaz, Mohammad Jawad, Mohammad Yunus, Abdul Wajid, Farman Shah and Mohammad Javed and women constables Sana Bibi and Zainab Bibi.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2025