Azad Kashmir: 15 Lives Lost as Passenger Jeep falls Into Neelum River
— July 10, 2024
MUZAFFARABAD (AIA) Azad Kashmir—A devastating road accident claimed the lives of 15 people, with two others critically injured, after a passenger jeep veered off the road and fell into the Neelum River on Wednesday.
The jeep, carrying 16 passengers, including the driver, was traveling from Lawat Bala to Muzaffarabad when the tragedy occurred.
According to officials, the jeep’s tie-rod broke, causing the driver to lose control, and the vehicle fell hundreds of feet down the road onto the riverbank. Fourteen people died on the spot, while two children and a local resident, who was struck by the tumbling vehicle, were rushed to CMH Muzaffarabad with critical injuries. One of the children, Ahsan Farooq, 10, succumbed to his wounds at the hospital.
The victims included men, women, and children, all from Lawat Bala village in the upper belt of Neelum Valley. The driver, Tariq Mir, 25, was among those who lost their lives.
The Muzaffarabad-bound jeep, modified to carry more passengers than its normal capacity, was transporting 16 people, including the driver.
All passengers were from Lawat Bala, a village located some 100 kilometres from Muzaffarabad in the upper belt of Neelum Valley, from where the vehicle started its journey early Wednesday morning.
According to the report, shortly before the village of Devlian, some 35 kilometres from Muzaffarabad, the vehicle veered to the right and fell down the main artery. Initial assessment suggests that the tie-rod of the passenger Jeep broke, causing the driver to lose control.
Before the vehicle came to a halt near the riverbank and was reduced to a twisted mass of metal, almost all passengers were thrown out onto the rocks. Rescuers found 14 people dead at the scene and two others—both children—surviving with critical injuries.
Those who died on the spot were identified as Muhammad Ashraf, 50, son of Akbar Jalal; Ghulam Yasin, 60, son of Muhammad Younus; Muhammad Farid Butt, 24, son of Abdul Rauf Butt and his siblings, Salma, 16, and Salim Butt, 12; Resham Jan, 65, widow of Sarwar Khan and her son Majid Khan, 27; Tariq Mir, 25, son of Ghulam Rabbani (driver); Zardana Bibi, 45, wife of Abdul Latif and her daughter Zeenat Bibi, 13; Saima Bibi, 40, wife of Arif Butt; Rafique Butt, 19, son of Farooq Butt, and his siblings Ishrat Bibi, 14, and Tanzeel Butt, 12.
The survivors were identified as Ahsan Farooq, 10, son of Farooq Butt, and Nabeel, 7, son of Abdul Latif. Ulfat Bibi, 45, a resident of the Devlian area who was cutting grass on the mountainside, was also injured after being struck by the tumbling vehicle.
All three of the injured were taken to CMH Muzaffarabad, where Ahsan succumbed to his wounds, an official at the hospital said, adding that Nabeel was also in critical condition but Ulfat was out of danger.
Rescue teams faced challenges in recovering the bodies due to the remote location and difficult terrain. The authorities have urged drivers to exercise extreme caution on the treacherous mountain roads, especially during adverse weather conditions. This tragic incident has sent shockwaves through the community, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident.