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Tragedy in Skardu: Missing Gujrat Tourists Found Dead After Vehicle Falls into Indus Gorge
Tragedy in Skardu: 4 missing tourists from Gujrat found dead after car plunges into Indus River gorge near Istak village. Rescue ops confirm high-speed accident.
ND
by News Desk
2025-05-24
Tragedy in Skardu: Missing Gujrat Tourists Found Dead After Vehicle Falls into Indus Gorge

Four young tourists from Gujrat who went missing during their trip to Gilgit-Baltistan were found dead on Saturday morning after their car was discovered in a deep gorge along the Indus River near Istak village in Skardu’s Roundu valley.

According to family sources, the deceased were identified as Wasif Shahzad (36) and Umar Ehsan (20), cousins from Kot Gakka near Mangowal; Salman Nasrullah Sandhu (23) from Jassoki village; and Usman Dar (23) from Saroki. The group had arrived in Gilgit on May 13 and began their journey to Skardu via Hunza on May 15.

The tourists last made contact on May 16 before vanishing without a trace. Their disappearance sparked a large-scale search operation by Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Police and Rescue 1122, covering the treacherous terrain from Jaglot to Istak. Authorities said their phones had been unreachable since they departed Gilgit.

Skardu Deputy Commissioner Arif Ahmad confirmed on Saturday that the group’s vehicle had been located near Satak Nala, having fallen approximately 500 feet below the Baltistan Highway into a gorge beside the Indus River. The accident is believed to have occurred due to speeding on the winding, mountainous road.

DIG Gilgit Range Raja Mirza Hassan stated that the last known location of the tourists was Jaglot town, and their expected destination was Istak. “The road runs dangerously close to the Indus River, and the water level is particularly high these days,” DIG Hassan noted.

The vehicle was spotted at the bottom of the ravine in an area known as Ganji Padi. Istak Station House Officer (SHO) Ali Faro coordinated the rescue efforts and requested a crane to retrieve the car from the gorge. “One body was visible outside the vehicle, while three remained trapped inside. Rescue teams are using ropes to reach them,” he said.

The difficult terrain has posed significant challenges for rescuers. A joint team of local police and Rescue 1122 personnel has been working tirelessly since the vehicle was discovered.

Rescue 1122 said their Gilgit unit had launched the search soon after the men were reported missing. The team gathered information from police checkpoints, hotel owners, and residents along the route. The operation spanned locations from Alam Bridge to the remote Shangus area in an effort to track the tourists’ movements.

This tragedy underscores the dangers posed by the mountainous roads of Gilgit-Baltistan, particularly the stretch from Jaglot to Skardu’s Istak area, where multiple accidents have been reported in the past.

The bodies of the young tourists are being recovered and arrangements are underway to transport them back to their hometown in Gujrat for burial. Grieving family members who had traveled to the area were present at the site during the rescue operation.

 
Tagged:

GilgitBaltistan

IndusRiver

TouristTragedy

SkarduAccident
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