At least 24 people were killed and two wounded when a passenger bus plunged into a deep ravine in northern Pakistan on Friday evening, local media reported.
The victims, belonging to the same family from the Upper Kohistan area, were on their way back from attending a wedding function.
However, some media reports claimed that the victims belonged to two separate families.
According to Geo News the ill-fated bus was carrying 35 passengers, including women and children, when the accident happened, near the Kandia area of Kohistan.
As it attempted to cross the river over a wooden bridge, the bridge gave way under the load of the truck’s passengers and snapped, plunging the vehicle and its occupants into the fast-flowing water below. Only five of the passengers managed to jump out of the vehicle and swim to safety.
Deadly road accidents are common in Pakistan mainly due to poor infrastructure, reckless driving, and lax safety standards.
Upper Kohistan is a hilly area bordering the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
The search for the missing passengers presumed dead, resumed on Saturday morning as expert divers and volunteers joined the operation. The rescue operation had been suspended the previous night due to dying light.
“Rescue efforts are facing difficulties as the incident occurred in a far-flung area,” DPO Kohistan Raja Abdul Saboor said. The fast speed of the flowing water is also a major issue hampering the rescue efforts
Deadly road accidents are common in Pakistan mainly due to poor infrastructure, reckless driving, and lax safety standards.
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About 70 suspension wooden bridges are being used for crossing the Kandia river and other streams, but most of the bridges are in dilapidated condition.
Anadolu with additional input from GVS News Desk