Key Highlights
- 11 fatalities reported in a passenger van accident in Pakistan.
- The incident occurred near Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
- Three survivors are in critical condition after being rescued from the river.
ISLAMABAD — A devastating road accident in the mountainous region of northern Pakistan has claimed 11 lives and left three others critically injured after a passenger van plunged off a narrow road and into a fast-flowing river.
The incident occurred early Tuesday morning near the town of Balakot in the Mansehra district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Toyota Hiace van, carrying 14 passengers, was traveling from Rawalpindi toward the scenic Kaghan Valley when the driver lost control on a treacherous bend.
According to preliminary reports from the Mansehra District Police, the van veered off the road and rolled several hundred feet down a steep embankment before crashing into the Kunhar River. Rescue officials and local volunteers rushed to the scene, but the challenging terrain and the swift river current significantly hampered the initial rescue operations.
"It was a horrific sight," said a rescue coordinator with Rescue 1122. "The vehicle was almost entirely submerged and crushed by the impact and the rocky riverbed. We had to work quickly to retrieve the survivors before they were carried away by the current."
Three passengers were rescued and transported in critical condition to a nearby hospital in Balakot. They were later shifted to a larger medical facility in Abbottabad for specialized treatment. Rescue teams recovered 11 bodies from the river and the wreckage of the van. The deceased included men, women, and children, identified as residents of Rawalpindi and neighboring areas, who were traveling to the valley for tourism and local work.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur expressed profound grief over the loss of lives and extended condolences to the bereaved families. He directed local authorities to provide the best possible medical care to the injured and to accelerate the investigation.
While the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation, local police suggested a combination of factors, including high speed, the poor condition of the road, and the difficult mountain terrain. Road accidents are frequent in Pakistan’s northern areas, where narrow, winding roads are often poorly maintained and lack safety barriers.
Authorities are also looking into potential overloading, as public transport vans in the region often carry more passengers than their capacity. The bodies of the victims are being transported back to their hometowns for burial. The condition of the three survivors remains critical, and doctors are closely monitoring them.
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