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Tragic Road Accident in AJK Claims 15 Lives as Overloaded Jeep Plummets into Neelum Riverbank
15 lives lost in a tragic road accident near Neelum River. Our thoughts are with the victims' families.
ND
by News Desk
2024-07-10
Tragic Road Accident in AJK Claims 15 Lives as Overloaded Jeep Plummets into Neelum Riverbank

15 people lost their lives and two others were critically injured when a passenger jeep plunged hundreds of feet down onto the bank of the Neelum River in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Officials attributed the crash to a technical fault.

 

The Muzaffarabad-bound jeep, modified to carry more passengers than its normal capacity, was transporting 16 individuals, including the driver. All passengers were from Lawat Bala, a village situated approximately 100 kilometers from Muzaffarabad in the upper belt of Neelum Valley, where the journey commenced early Wednesday morning.

 

Deputy Commissioner Muzaffarabad Nadeem Ahmed Janjua reported that the vehicle veered off the road and fell down a main artery shortly before reaching the village of Devlian, about 35 kilometers from Muzaffarabad. The vehicle struck the bypass road before tumbling further down to the riverbank, coming to a halt just short of plunging into the river.

 

"The main road at the accident site is quite wide and can easily accommodate four vehicles passing simultaneously from opposite directions. Initial assessment suggests that the tie-rod of the passenger jeep broke, causing the driver to lose control," Janjua explained.

 

Before the jeep stopped near the riverbank, almost all passengers were thrown out onto the rocks. Rescuers found 14 people dead at the scene. The survivors, two children, were critically injured. Tragically, one of the injured children, Ahsan Farooq, 10, succumbed to his wounds at CMH Muzaffarabad.

 

The victims included Muhammad Ashraf, 50; Ghulam Yasin, 60; Muhammad Farid Butt, 24, and his siblings, Salma, 16, and Salim Butt, 12; Resham Jan, 65, and her son Majid Khan, 27; Tariq Mir, 25; Zardana Bibi, 45, and her daughter Zeenat Bibi, 13; Saima Bibi, 40; Rafique Butt, 19, and his siblings Ishrat Bibi, 14, and Tanzeel Butt, 12.

 

The surviving injured were identified as Nabeel, 7, and Ulfat Bibi, 45, who was cutting grass on the mountainside and was struck by the tumbling vehicle.

 

Road accidents are frequent in AJK’s mountainous areas, often attributed to faulty and worn-out public transport vehicles, many of which are modified to carry more passengers than their capacity. Despite public outcry, such vehicles are routinely issued fitness certificates by the authorities.

 

Former civil servant Muhammad Tariq Shaheen criticized the issuance of fitness certificates to altered vehicles, echoing the concerns of civil society. PML-N regional president Shah Ghulam Qadir and PTI regional president Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi also called for immediate government action to prevent further tragedies. Qadir stressed the need for a new public transport policy to ensure safe, quality, and affordable transportation in hilly areas like Neelum Valley.

 

This accident follows another tragic incident on June 9, where 17 people, including six tourists, drowned when a similarly modified vehicle plunged into the Neelum River.
Tagged:

tragedy

RoadSafety

AJKAccident

NeelumValley
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