Five dead as passenger vehicle plunges into Neelum River in Azad Kashmir

In a tragic incident reported by local officials, a passenger vehicle met with a fatal accident, resulting in the loss of five lives and injuries to four others after it plunged into the Neelum River in Azad Kashmir on Sunday.

The vehicle, en route from Kel to Tau Butt, veered off the road and fell approximately 200 feet into a ravine before landing in the river near the Karimabad area in Tehsil Athmuqam, as detailed by rescue authorities. With an estimated 20 passengers onboard, seven individuals are still unaccounted for, adding to the urgency of ongoing search and rescue efforts.

Muhammad Mukhtar Ayyub, the in-charge of Rescue 1122 in Neelum Valley, confirmed the retrieval of five deceased individuals from the scene, including a 12-year-old boy, clarifying that no women were among the victims. Various agencies, including Rescue 1122, police, army personnel, district administration officials, and local volunteers, are collaborating in the rescue operation, with professional divers summoned to aid in locating the missing passengers.

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Assistant Commissioner Manzoor Ahmad Butt of Neelum district declared an emergency at Civil Hospital Tau Butt, where the injured individuals are receiving medical care. He noted that while seven passengers hailed from Multan district, the majority were locals. Butt emphasized his oversight of the ongoing rescue efforts and highlighted the active involvement of the local community in the search for the missing individuals.

This tragic incident underscores the prevalence of road accidents in Pakistan, where adherence to traffic regulations is inconsistent, and road infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, often remains substandard. In regions like Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, characterized by mountainous terrain, such accidents sadly occur with regularity.