At least 8 killed, 12 injured as van carrying tourists plunges into ravine near Babusar top

At least 8 people were killed and 12 others injured as a van, filled with tourists, careened into a ravine near Babusar Pass, in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, Aaj News reported on Friday.

Shaukat Riaz, District Coordinator of Diamer Rescue 1122, confirmed the casualty count to the media, and feared more deaths. He said women and children were among the deceased.

The incident was reported at Ghatidas near the famous tourist attraction, according to the rescue official. He added that the vehicle that met with an accident was a hi-roof vehicle.

Balakot DSP Saeed Jadoon told Aaj News that bodies were shifted to the basic health unit near the Naran Police check post while wounded persons were moved to Chilas hospital.

Rescue officials, Mansehra police, and Chilas police were on the site for relief activities.

Footage showed that the van caught fire after falling into the ravine. The tourists were coming to Naran from the Babusar Top and they belong to the same family. They were from Punjab’s Sahiwal, as per initial information.

Earlier this month, a similar accident on the Karakoram Highway near the Thalichi area in GB resulted in six deaths and 17 injuries. Prior to that, another two traffic accidents in GB’s Hunza claimed five lives and injured 13 others.

The country’s perilous road safety record can be attributed to dilapidated highways, disregard for safety protocols, and reckless driving. Overcrowded passenger buses, a lack of seatbelts, or simply the failure to use them, often lead to fatal single-vehicle mishaps.

The World Health Organization has estimated that in 2018 alone, over 27,000 lives were lost on Pakistan’s roadways.