GILGIT: Five people were killed and 39 others injured in two road accidents here on Thursday.

According to police and Rescue 1122 officials, a passenger bus of Northern Areas Transport Company carrying 35 people was on way to Islamabad from Ghizer district when it plunged into a deep ravine on Karakoram Highway near Alam Bridge in Gilgit.

As a result, two women passengers were killed and 33 others injured. All the passengers were residents of Ghizer.

However, their names could not be ascertained.

The police and Rescue 1122 officials shifted the injured passengers to CMH, Gilgit, and city hospital. They said that apparently the accident occurred due to speeding.

Commander Force Command Northern Areas, Maj-Gen Ahsan Mehmood Khan, visited the incident area and supervised the rescue activities. He also directed for best possible treatment of the injured.

Meanwhile, three passengers died and six others suffered injuries when a jeep fell into river when a newly-constructed wooden bridge collapsed in Jutial village of Haramosh area.

According to police, the jeep was carrying 15 passengers.

The bridge collapsed when ropes of the bridge broke as the jeep was passing through it.

As a result, the jeep fell into river. Three passengers identified as Musharraf Hussain, Sami and Forqan Ali, all residents of Haramosh, were swept away by river water.

Six others suffered injuries, but they were rescued from the river and taken to various hospitals in the area.

Local people, meanwhile, criticised the GB works department for using substandard material in construction of the bridge.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2019