Lone survivor blames driver for Astore road accident

GILGIT: The lone survivor of the Thalichi coaster van accident has blamed the driver for ignoring safety and speeding, which resulted in the death of all but one passenger.

Tragedy struck on Tuesday when a coaster carrying a wedding party from Astore district’s Parishing area plunged into the Indus River near the Tahlichi Bridge, leaving one injured and 25 others missing. Fourteen bodies have been recovered so far.

The van, bearing registration number MNS 9696, was traveling from Astore to Chakwal. Despite the freezing water, rescuers, supported by local volunteers, have so far retrieved 14 bodies, while efforts to locate the remaining 11 are still under way. The victims included the groom and his three relatives from Chakwal, as well as 20 relatives of the bride and the driver.

Malika, the lone survivor and thebride, daughter of Rasool Khan from Astore, sustained minor injuries and was rescued before being shifted to the Provincial Headquarters Hospital (PHQ) in Gilgit.

Speaking from her hospital bed, a visibly shaken Malika recalled that the driver had been driving recklessly, especially at the turn where he lost control of the van. “The driver was driving recklessly and going too fast,” said Malika, who was admitted to the hospital.

Malika shared, “We boarded the coaster from Parishing. After completing the entry at the Doian checkpoint, the driver accelerated and played loud music. Due to the high speed, the coaster first struck a wall, lifted into the air, broke through the bridge railing, and landed in the middle of the river.”

She mentioned that she was sitting by the window and managed to escape when the glass shattered. “I swam in the river until someone saw me and pulled me out, but my entire family was lost to the river,” she added. She also noted that the driver did not rest after arriving from Rawalpindi and drove them without taking a break.

SP Diamer Sher Khan confirmed that speeding was the cause of the accident. In a conversation with HUM News English, he explained that evidence at the scene indicated the vehicle had been driven so fast that it struck the right side of the road wall, veered left, broke the bridge railing, and fell into the river.

The search continues, involving police, Rescue 1122, and local volunteers who are combing the area from Thalichi bridge to the Diamer Basha Dam site to recover the bodies. “Due to these efforts, 13 bodies were recovered yesterday, and one more was recovered today. Efforts are ongoing to retrieve the remaining bodies,” he added.

Meanwhile, the victims’ families have criticized the lack of proper equipment and training of Rescue 1122 as reasons for delays in the retrieval of the bodies. In response, Rescue 1122 issued a clarification, stating: “As soon as the incident was reported, teams from Rescue 1122 from Astore, Gilgit and Chilas reached the scene with the necessary equipment and, with the assistance of residents, immediately launched a search operation.”

In a statement, Rescue 1122 said that it was utilising all available resources and was fully committed to the search operation. So far, they have recovered multiple bodies and the affected coaster from the river.

“Diver Bashir Ahmed from Rescue 1122 Chilas has been demonstrating professional expertise since yesterday, successfully recovering bodies and the vehicle, and continues his efforts diligently,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, funeral prayers were held at the Eidgah Imambargah in Astore, after which the bodies were sent to their native villages.