Two passengers were killed and another 16, including three foreign citizens, were injured when a passenger bus bound for Rawalpindi deviated from the road and fell into a drain on Tuesday, authorities reported.
According to the Serai Saleh station officer (Sho) Raja Mumtaz, the accident occurred near the exchange of Shah Maqsood, approximately six kilometers from the headquarters of the district on the Hazara highway.
The Sho attributed the accident to reckless driving, although some passengers affirmed that the driver fell asleep behind the wheel.
The bus, which left Gilgit at dawn on Tuesday, was traveling at high speed when the driver lost control, causing him to immerse the drain on the road. The locals and rescue workers rushed to the scene, transporting the injured to the trauma center Haripur. Unfortunately, two passengers were declared dead upon arrival.
Five passengers suffered serious injuries and were transferred to the Institute of Medical Sciences of Pakistan in Islamabad, while another 11 with minor injuries were treated and discharged. The deceased were identified as Masroor, 55, from Yaseen Gilgit, and Zameer Abbas, 42, of Astore.
Among the injured were a teenager and three foreign citizens, John, citizen of the Czech Republic, and two Chinese citizens, Zu Chongzhi and Lyu Li Dong.
