A passenger vehicle veered off a razor-edge mountain road and plunged into a rushing river in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Thursday night, killing 11 people and leaving three critically injured.
Night had fallen when the driver lost control on the sharp mountain terrain, said local police official Mohammad Afzal. The vehicle plummeted hundreds of feet into the riverbed. Silence followed.
Emergency teams mobilized immediately, battling pitch darkness and treacherous slopes as search and rescue operations stretched deep into Friday morning. Rescuers eventually pulled all 11 bodies from the wreckage and recovered three survivors, shifting them to a nearby hospital for emergency trauma care.
Regional chief minister Amjad Hussain issued an official directive instructing hospital authorities to deliver immediate, round-the-clock medical treatment to the three survivors fighting for their lives.
| Incident Parameter | Official Status |
|---|---|
| Location | Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir |
| Fatalities | 11 passengers confirmed dead |
| Critical Injuries | 3 passengers hospitalized |
| Cause | Driver lost control on mountainous road |
| Lead Investigating Official | Mohammad Afzal, Local Police |
| Search & Rescue Window | Thursday night through Friday morning |
The lethal plunge follows a broader collapse in mountain transit safety across the region, where dilapidated road engineering, practically non-existent traffic enforcement, and reckless driving practices turn daily commutes into fatal gambles. Just last week, a speeding bus collided head-on with a truck in eastern Pakistan, crushing 11 commuters to death and injuring 33 others.
Local police authorities confirmed that an official inquiry into the vehicle's mechanical condition and the precise driving factors behind Thursday night's plunge is now underway.