6 people missing after passenger vehicle falls in Chitral River
Chitral: A passenger vehicle, Jeep No. AJK 1373, fell in the Chitral River today while moving from Arkari Valley to Chitral Town. Six of the passengers went missing, after the jeep fell in the raging Chitral River.
Some injured passengers were recovered after early response by locals, aided by police, Chitral Scouts and volunteers trained by the Focus Humanitarian Assistance.
A couple of people reportedly saved their lives by jumping off the vehicle as it lurched towards the roadside, before falling into the river, which is almost flowing at its peak.
Dead body of a woman named Rahila was recovered from the river along with the ill-fated Jeep, while search for the other missing passengers is underway, said Bashir Hussain Azad, a local journalist.
In the absence of a robust public transport system, locals are forced to travel in outdated, often ill-maintained, Jeeps. Almost every year such accidents take place in the mountainous areas, taking the lives of dozens of people, while also causing injuries, and permanent disabilities.
In the absence of a robust public transport system, locals are forced to travel in outdated, often ill-maintained, Jeeps. Almost every year such accidents take place in the mountainous areas, taking the lives of dozens of people, while also causing injuries, and permanent disabilities.
Most of the roads in Chitral district are narrow, unpaved, without safety walls and, also, there is no functional mechanism for checking the fitness of the vehicles. Coupled with reckless driving, and mechanical faults, these passenger vehicles are deaths on wheel, waiting for disaster.
