A passenger van veered off a mountain road and fell into a river in northern Pakistan on Thursday night, killing 11 people and injuring three others. The crash occurred in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, prompting a search and rescue operation that continued into Friday morning.
Emergency crews retrieved all 11 bodies from the site, while the three injured passengers were transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to reports cited by The Mirror.
Driver lost control, officials say
Local police official Mohammad Afzal said the driver lost control of the vehicle before it left the mountainous route. Regional chief minister Amjad Hussain expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and directed officials to ensure those hurt receive the best available medical care.
Frequent road collisions in mountainous areas
Serious road collisions are a frequent occurrence in Pakistan, particularly in mountainous areas, due to poor road infrastructure, inadequate traffic law enforcement, and unsafe driving practices. The incident comes just seven days after a separate collision between a passenger bus and a truck in eastern Pakistan left 11 dead and 33 injured.
