GILGIT: Eleven people were killed and two injured when a passenger vehicle plunged into a river in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Ghizer district on Thursday.

According to local police, a passenger van was en route to Ghizer’s Yasin Valley from Gilgit on Thursday evening when the driver lost control near Morkah Bridge, causing the van to plunge into the Yasin river.

Police initially said rescue teams retrieved the bodies of 10 passengers, including two women. They also rescued three injured passengers, including a child, who were taken to the Gupis Civil Hospital for treatment.

According to a later statement by the GB Chief Minister Secretariat, an infant was among the 11 people who died, while two were injured.

Police said the deceased and injured were residents of Yasin Valley, adding that an investigation was under way to identify the cause of the incident.

GB Chief Minister Amjad Hussain expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in the accident.

He directed the district administration, rescue agencies, and relevant health department officials to ensure the injured were immediately transported to nearby hospitals and to utilise all available resources to provide the best possible medical facilities.

He also instructed the administration to ensure that no negligence occurred during rescue operations, and that the medical treatment and care of the injured were carefully monitored.

Expressing heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families, Hussain said the loss of human lives in the tragic accident was “deeply distressing”.

He prayed for eternal peace for the deceased and strength to their families to bear the loss, while hoping for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Three people were killed and 13 others injured in a collision between a coach and a motorcycle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan on Wednesday, according to Rescue 1122.

Last week, eight people were killed and 30 others injured when a passenger bus travelling from Gilgit to Islamabad collided with a dumper truck near the Havelian Interchange on the Hazara Motorway.

The day before, a collision between a passenger bus and a truck claimed the lives of 11 people and left 33 others injured near Punjab’s Pakpattan.