At least 20 passengers dead, 21 others injured after bus falls into ravine on Karakoram Highway near Diamer

DIAMER, May 03 (SABAH): At least 20 people died while 21 others were injured on Friday when a passenger bus overturned on the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district, rescue officials said.

According to Diamer district rescue officer Shoukat Riaz, the bus, which belonged to a private company, was traveling from Rawalpindi to Gilgit when the driver lost control near Gunar Farm.

Subsequently, the bus overturned and landed near the banks of the Indus River, Riaz said. The accident took place at around 5:30 AM, he said.

The injured have been shifted to Chilas Hospital, the rescue officer said, adding that the number of injured was initially 35 but many succumbed to their injuries.

According to GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq, three women were also among the dead. He noted that a total of 43 passengers were on the bus.

Speaking to a foreign news agency, city police official Azmat Shah said, “Rescue operations have been completed. Among the 21 injured, the condition of five is very critical.”

The local ulema announced the news of the accident from the mosque’s loudspeaker and urged people to donate blood for the injured, Shah added.

Local resident Mohammad Zaman told a private TV channel that a large number of people had reached the hospital to donate blood for the injured. He said local volunteers helped transfer the injured and bodies to the hospital.

President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed his grief and conveyed his condolences to the victims’ relatives.

In a statement on X, he prayed for the deceased and for the speedy recovery of the wounded.

Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif expressed his grief on the loss of lives and conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families.

In a statement, he directed that the injured be provided with “every possible medical treatment”.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed his “heartfelt sympathies” with the bereaved families. Mohsin Naqvi prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and said he shared the grief of the families in the hour of sorrow, a statement said.

Gilgit Baltistan Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan expressed his condolences over the incident, directing the administration and rescuers to provide immediate medical aid to the injured. GB government’s spokesperson said that emergency have been imposed in Chilas hospital.