HUNZA, May 29: Twelve people, five women and three children among them, were killed when a van fell 100 feet down into a ravine from a hill in Attabad, a small hamlet about 25km north of here.

Six people jumped out of the vehicle and saved their lives.

Police sources said that the victims, who were relatives, were going to Aliabad.

They have been identified as Hayat Khan, Khushal Khan, Husnain, Ali Ghulam, Bibi Khurshid and her daughter, Ali Madad, Bibi Shahri, Bibi Fiat, Mehboob Ali, Salika and Wajahat (driver).

Hadi Hussain, Shahbaz, Ejaz Karim, Nizamuddin, Piyar Ali and Wilayat saved their lives by jumping off the jeep.

The accident was caused by a brake failure.

The village is prone to natural disasters because of large cracks caused by tectonic movements. It is five kilometres above the KKH. Hundreds of volunteers, scouts and FOCUS activists from adjoining villages took part in the rescue operation.

Villagers said the authorities had taken no action on their demand for widening and repairing the road.

The injured were taken to the tehsil headquarters hospital in Aliabad and some of the critically injured to the district headquarters hospital, Gilgit.