13 Dead in Passenger Bus Accident in Seeryan (Haveli)

Locals and army personal at the accident site.

BAGH: At least 13 passengers were killed and six others severly injured when a passenger bus plunged into a deep ravine early on Monday in Seeryan, Forward Kahota, some 50 kilometres from here.

The bus was going from Rawalpindi to Forward Kahuta in Bagh district. It fell down a 150 metre slope, according to police official Riaz Abbasi, who added that that around 20 people were on board.

A senior government official said, “The accident occurred around 5:00 am.” We have moved the injured to hospitals and handed over the bodies of the deceased to their relatives,” local administration official Sardar Shahbaz Ali said.

The officials said the cause of the accident was not immediately known.

The dead were identified as Safeer Ahmed, Wazir Muhammad, Ikhlas Khan, Hafiz Shaban Malik, Muhammad Shafi, Mursleen, Fayaz, Tariq, Muhammad Bashir and Muhammad Latif, while the other three could not be identified till the filing of this report. Muhammad, Fayaz, Sipahi Dullah Khan, and Muhammad Yusaf Rafaqat sustained critical injuries and were shifted to the Military Surgical Training Institute (MST) Kahuta for treatment.

Havayli Deputy Commissioner (DC) Raja Irshad told The Express Tribune that initial reports indicated the driver lost control while negotiating the sharp bend.

Meanwhile, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry has asked the district administrations of Havayli and Rawalakot to provide free treatment to the injured and issue compensation cheques to the deceased’s families on a priority basis.