14 people killed when a bus falls into Indus river in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Pakistan: Tragically, a bus in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer area plummeted into the Indus River on Tuesday, killing at least 16 passengers and leaving 12 more feared dead. According to Dawn, the driver lost control of the car, which was traveling to the Chakwal area of Punjab as part of a wedding procession.

Officials said there were 27 passengers on the bus when the tragedy occurred. While the bride was rescued in critical condition and sent to a hospital in Gilgit, where she passed away from her wounds, rescuers discovered 14 more remains from the river. It has been assumed that the other 12 missing people are deceased.

Nevertheless, despite the very low conditions in Diamer, rescue operations for the missing continued under the supervision of the superintendent and the deputy commissioner. Two boats and five local divers took part in the operation. With the aid of a crane, the bus’s wreckage was pulled from the water.

Police urged locals around the river to continue looking for the dead corpses, and authorities announced that the hunt for missing individuals will be extended to other places along the river on Wednesday. Contractors working on a dam close to the area have also been mobilized, according to Gilgit Baltistan government spokesman Faizullah Faraq.

Diamer SSP Sher Khan said that the overspeeding bus struck the bridge’s safety railing and fell into the river, indicating that the driver’s carelessness was the cause of the disaster.

President Asif Ali Zardari sent his condolences to the families of the victims and expressed his sorrow.

Due to severe weather, rough terrain, badly maintained roads, overloaded cars, and lax traffic laws, road accidents are common in Pakistan, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. These areas are particularly accident-prone due to the curving, narrow roads and the weariness of the drivers.

In October, a passenger bus headed for Rawalpindi plunged into a ravine in the Upper Kohistan region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing two persons and injuring 36 more. Two different bus disasters in August claimed 36 lives and wounded scores more.