MUZAFFARABAD, Aug 1: Nine people, including three women, drowned and five others received injuries when an overloaded passenger jeep plunged into Neelum River in Neelum Valley, an official said.

The accident occurred near Jamgarh village, some 200km from here, on Tuesday evening after the vehicle with 23 people on board veered off the Neelum valley road and fell into the river, the AJK special branch superintendent told Dawn.

Fourteen people, including the driver, jumped out of the vehicle to save their lives as it skidded off the road, he said, adding that five of them were injured whereas the rest drowned.