Japanese aid worker hurt in accident

Published October 3, 2006

MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 2: A vehicle carrying two Japanese aid workers rammed into a roadside hill in Zaminabad village, 20km off here on Monday. This caused injuries to one of the aid workers and their Pakistani driver.

According to police, the aid workers, belonging to Japan International Cooperation Agency, were on their way to Muzaffarabad by a Land Cruiser jeep to attend an official meeting. Jica has conducted a survey of Muzaffarabad city and prepared its land use plan.

The vehicle met the accident after its driver dozed off, said a police official.

He said that AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Shah Ghulam Qadir, who was also on his way to Muzaffarabad, stopped at the accident site and brought the two aid workers to Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences in his official vehicle.

One of them, Kubota Makoto, fractured his left arm while the other one remained unhurt, orthopaedic surgeon Dr Akkad Rafiq told Dawn.

He said they had provided him necessary treatment. Hospital sources, however, said that the driver who, according to police, was also injured in the accident was not received at the hospital.