At least eight people, including a child, died, and nine others were injured on Friday after a van plunged into a ravine in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district, officials said.
Shaukat Riaz, the district coordinator for Diamer Rescue 1122, confirmed the dead toll and said that the incident occurred after a van collided with a vehicle, Dawn reported.
According to officials, the van was headed to Gilgit-Baltistan from Sahiwal, carrying 16 tourists.
“After it fell into the ravine, the van caught fire,” said Chilas Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Wazir Liaqat, adding that the wounded persons were being moved to the nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Earlier this month, six people were killed, and 17 others were wounded when a tour bus transporting tourists fell into a gorge on the Karakoram Highway close to the Thalichi area in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Pakistan has a dire track record for road safety due to its ramshackle highways, inadequate safety regulations, and reckless driving.
Buses carrying passengers are usually overcrowded, and seatbelt use is uncommon or nonexistent. As a result, single-vehicle accidents regularly result in large mortality tolls.
