Nosheen Khawaja
MUZAFFARABAD: Authorities in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, reported that a jeep skidded off the road and fell into the Neelum River, resulting in the deaths of six people, with eleven individuals still missing and seven injured. The incident occurred on Sunday in Taobatt, the last village in Neelum Valley, approximately 130 kilometers northeast of Muzaffarabad.
Police said that recent heavy rains had weakened the soil, causing a stone wall to slip under the weight of the jeep and triggering the vehicle’s plunge.
A local passenger, who jumped from the rooftop of the jeep, shared details with an unknown person on the spot. His video recounting the incident was later shared on social media.
Neelum Valley’s Deputy Commissioner, Raja Arif, said the jeep was carrying 22 people, including nine nomads and seven tourists from various cities in Pakistan, exceeding its capacity. Five of the passengers were from the local area in Neelum Valley.
“The rains a couple of days ago significantly weakened the soil, leading to the collapse of the stone wall. This unfortunate event caused the jeep to skid off the road and fall into the river,” said a police officer.
“Six bodies have been recovered from the water, and seven people who were rescued from the river are injured and have been moved to a local hospital in Kel town, while eleven passengers are still missing,” the deputy commissioner added.
Rescue operations were swiftly initiated, with the Pakistan Army, District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) teams, and local residents joining forces in the search and rescue efforts, he said.
However, the onset of darkness forced a temporary halt to the rescue operations, which will resume Monday morning.
“Our teams are working tirelessly to locate the missing individuals and provide aid to the injured. The rescue operation had to be paused as night fell, but we will resume at first light,” the police officer said. “The area is quite difficult to navigate, which poses significant challenges for the rescue operations.”
One of the passengers, who was on the rooftop of the jeep, managed to save himself by jumping from the vehicle. “The stone wall slipped under the load of the vehicle, and the jeep fell into the river,” he recounted.
The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has dispatched a team of 1122 water rescuers and volunteers who are on their way to Taobatt to assist in the ongoing rescue efforts.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, there is a lack of adherence to safety regulations, and authorities often fail to enforce road safety measures. Overloading and the use of old vehicles without safety tests are common issues in the region.
Most roads lack guardrails or safety barriers, contributing to the high incidence of road accidents. Additionally, substandard work on road infrastructure due to corruption exacerbates the dangers. Consequently, road accidents are common in the region, and every year many people lose their lives to such tragedies.
(This news article has been updated with some corrections)
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