LOWER DIR: Three people were killed, and 10 others were injured when a passenger van plunged into a deep ravine in the Maidan Nambatai area here on Monday, the police and hospital sources said.

A minor girl, a woman and an elderly man died on the spot, while 10 others were injured.

According to residents, the deceased were relatives. Among the injured are Jibran’s wife, Ms Uzra, Iftikhar’s wife, Abu Bakar, son of Rahim Shah, Rahim Shah’s wife, Uzma, wife of Jameel, Mohammad, son of Jameel, Faiza, daughter of Jameel, and others.

The injured were shifted to Lal Qila Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital, Timergara, where one person was reported to be in critical condition.

The police have registered a case and started an investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, a reported robbery in Chakdara has been exposed as a staged incident with the complainant himself found involved, Lower Dir district police officer Furqan Bilal said on Monday.

The police said Khushhal Khan, a resident of Taj Colony in Chakdara, had claimed that two masked men snatched Rs7 million from him at gunpoint on the night of April 10, when he was returning home with friends. He stated the money was meant for bank deposit.

Following orders from the DPO, police launched an investigation using technical evidence and questioning, which revealed that the complainant had fabricated the story.

Briefing journalists at the Chakdara Press Club, the DPO said the accused attempted to mislead police and spread false information on social media to incite public unrest. “Initial findings suggest the incident was staged to pressure authorities for the transfer of the local SHO through public reaction and protests,” he said, adding that further investigations were underway.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2026