One dead, five missing in two road accidents in Gilgit-Baltistan

GILGIT: One person lost his life, five are missing, and five others were injured in two separate road accidents in Gilgit-Baltistan.

In one of the incidents, a car traveling from Mir Malik to Astore headquarters slipped on the snow-covered road and overturned near Chhogam in Astore. The accident resulted in injuries to six people, including five men and one woman. According to Rescue 1122 service officials, the vehicle was carrying eight passengers. The injured individuals have been shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Astore for treatment.

However, one of the injured, Abdul Manaf, son of Abdul Ghaffar, a resident of Chongra Colony, Astore, succumbed to his injuries while being moved to Gilgit for further treatment. He was approximately 28-30 years old.

In a separate incident, a vehicle traveling from Skardu headquarters to Shengus area came under a landslide, resulting in five persons going missing. Skardu Deputy Commissioner Arif Ahmed confirmed the accident to HUM News English, stating that the incident was reported on Saturday, but due to the heavy nature of the landslide, no signs of the accident were initially visible.

When workers began clearing the debris, the vehicle was recovered, but no bodies were found. According to Ahmed, when the vehicle passed through the Kachura Check post, five persons were registered, but it is unclear if anyone was picked up or dropped off, resulting in the five individuals being reported missing.

Accidents in Gilgit-Baltistan are common, especially during the winter season, due to the region’s mountainous terrain and harsh weather conditions.

This latest incident comes on the heels of a similar tragic accident last month, in which a coaster van carrying a wedding party fell into the Indus River near Thalichi bridge in Astore, resulting in the loss of at least 14 lives, with 12 still missing. The victims included the groom and his three relatives from Chakwal, as well as 20 relatives of the bride and the driver from Astore. Despite extensive efforts, all attempts to trace the missing persons failed.

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