MUZAFFARABAD: At least 25 schoolchildren and a driver sustained injuries after a van fell into a gorge near Chikar hill station in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Neelum Valley.
The AJK police said that the injured children and van driver were shifted to the hospital. According to the Superintendent Police (SP) Mirza Zahid, the van driver and two children are in critical condition. The affected children were taken to the DHQ Hospital Hattian Bala and Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital Chikar.
Road accidents are common in the country’s mountainous regions, largely due to poor driving skills, lack of safety measures, challenging terrain, and derelict road infrastructure.
Buses and trucks are normally filled beyond their capacities with passengers which also cause vehicles to overturn. In May, five policemen including Assistant Director Zakir Awan and IG’s Reader Ali Bukhari died in a horrific accident after their car fell into a ravine in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Dhirkot tehsil.
The incident took place in Lasdana, a tourist destination in AJK’s Bagh district, in which five cops lost their lives. Policemen Fahim, SHO Naveed and Inspector Yasir Kiani were also among the deceased, according to Bagh deputy commissioner.
Published in News Daily on 09-July-2025.
