MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): At least 25 schoolchildren and a driver sustained injuries after a van plunged into a ravine near Chikar hill station in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Neelum Valley.
SP Jhelum Valley said that van driver and two children were in critical condition who, he added, have been shifted to the hospital.
The injured were taken to the DHQ Hospital Hattian Bala and Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital Chikar.
According to the officials, the accident occurred near the village of Dhani Bakalan, where the driver lost control of the vehicle and fell into a ravine.
Van was transporting children
The van was transporting students to school when the incident took place.
Road accidents in the country’s mountainous regions are largely attributed to poor driving skills, lack of safety measures, challenging terrain, and derelict road infrastructure.
In May this year, five policemen including Assistant Director Zakir Awan and IG’s Reader Ali Bukhari died in a tragic road incident after their car fell into a gorge in Dhirkot tehsil.
The incident took place in Lasdana, a tourist destination in Bagh district.
According to official statistics, traffic accidents in Pakistan, however, dropped by over 33% in 2024 if compared with 2023.
The year 2024 saw a total of 6,233 traffic accidents countrywide of which 4,231 were fatal. In 2023, a total number of 9,333 road accidents took place across the country.
As far as AJK is concerned, it recorded 409 road accidents in 2024. In 2023, the region logged a total of 391 road accidents where 115 were fatal.
