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ASTOR: At least 18 wedding guests were killed when a Rawalpindi-bound bus plunged into a ditch in Gilgit-Baltistan‘s Astor on Tuesday, rescue officials said.
The bodies of 12 people, including four women, have been removed from the river. A young girl, believed to be the bride, was found injured and has been shifted to hospital. Efforts are on to search for the 10 missing persons.
Footage from the area shows local people and rescue personnel on a search and rescue mission on a boat and on the riverbank. According to initial reports, 25 people were on board the bus.
In response to the incident, medical staff at a nearby hospital and at the Civil Hospital in Gilgit’s Jaglot sub-division have been put on high alert.
Accidents are a common occurrence in GB and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, due to challenging terrain, poor road conditions, overloaded vehicles, and limited traffic restrictions. The risk of accidents is increased by narrow, winding roads, severe weather and driver fatigue, making these areas particularly dangerous.
Earlier this month, eight people were killed and four injured when a van fell into a ditch in KP’s Buner district. In September, three people, including two army personnel, were killed when a bus landslide occurred on the Karakoram Highway in Dasu, Upper Kohistan.
A GB government spokesperson confirmed to the media that a wedding bus bound for Rawalpindi met with an accident near Thalechi Bridge and fell into the river.
Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan expressed regret and directed to speed up relief operations.
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