MANSEHRA: At least 17 people, including women and children, were killed when a Rawalpindi-bound coach fell into a deep ravine in the Dasu area of Upper Kohistan on Sunday night.

“We have confirmed reports that 17 passengers died, but a woman survived the accident,” said Mohammad Gul, the duty officer at the special branch of police.

He said the coach was going to Rawalpindi from the Ghizer area of Gilgit-Baltistan and met an accident due to speeding. Local authorities said that the vehicle was negotiating a turn on the Karakoram Highway in the Lotar area of Kohistan when it plunged into the ravine at 9.30pm on Sunday.

“Policemen and local people retrieved the bodies from the deep ravine,” said Mr Gul. He added that a woman — Parveen hailing from the Ghizer area of Gilgit — miraculously sustained some minor injuries only in the accident and was shifted to a nearby hospital. He said a police contingent led by the district police officer rushed to the scene of the accident soon after learning about it.

Some of the deceased had been identified as Mukhtaruddin, Shaeer, Meraj, Ali Ahmed, Afsar Ali, Farda a security guard hailing from Ishkoman valley. The identity of other passengers could not be ascertained immediately.

Sources said the coach was owned by a private company that operated the transport service between Ghizer and Islamabad. It departed Ghizer at 9am and met the accident 12 hours later.

Jamil Nagri from Gilgit also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2018

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