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- May 3, 2024
- Kainat Shakeel
- 0
Rescue officials reported that on Friday morning, a passenger bus in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer area capsized on the Karakoram Highway, resulting in at least 20 fatalities and 21 injuries. The bus, owned by a private company, was on its way from Rawalpindi to Gilgit when the driver lost control close to Gunar Farm, according to Diamer district rescue officer Shoukat Riaz. The bus then capsized and came to rest close to the banks of the Indus River, according to Riaz. He stated that the accident happened at roughly 5:30 am. The rescue officer reported that although there were initially 35 injured, many of them later died from their wounds. The injured have already been moved to Chilas Hospital.
A spokesman for the GB government Faizullah Faraq said that three women were also among the deceased. He reported that there were forty-three people on the bus. “Rescue operations have been completed,” municipal police officer Azmat Shah told AFP. Five of the 21 injured had extremely serious conditions. Shah further said that the ulema in the area asked people to give blood for the injured after breaking the news of the accident over the mosque’s loudspeaker. Mohammad Zaman, a local, told Dawn.com that a sizable crowd had come to the hospital to provide blood for the injured. According to him, local volunteers assisted with the death and injuries transfer to the hospital.
The Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and expressed his sadness over the deaths. He issued a statement ordering “every possible medical treatment” for the victims. Additionally, President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his sorrow and sent his condolences to the victims’ families. He prayed for the wounded to heal quickly and for the deceased in a statement on X. The relatives of the deceased received the “deepest sympathies” from Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. According to a statement, Naqvi expressed his sympathy for the families’ loss during this difficult time and hoped for the injured people to heal quickly.