Kohistan bridge collapse

MANSEHRA: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Sunday announced an amount of Rs500,000 each for families of the 24 people who drowned when a pickup vehicle plunged into Kandia stream following a suspension bridge collapsed in Upper Kohistan the other day.

“I have no wards to express my sorrow and grief over the loss of your loved ones but government would pay an amount of Rs0.5 million to each victim family as the compensation money,” he told members of the bereaved families in Kandia area in Upper Kohistan.

Commissioner Hazara Zaheerul Islam, Deputy Commissioner Hamidur Rehman and District Police Officer Raja Abdul Saboor Khan also accompanied the chief minister during his visit to Kandia, a remote valley in Upper Kohistan.

The chief minister, who was flown to Upper Kohistan from Peshawar, told bereaved families that government would also pay Rs100,000 to each injured.

“I know this is the remotest part of our province without road infrastructure and I have ordered the district administration to prepare Project Cost (PC-1) of the roads in Kandia,” he said.

Mahmood Khan said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government was working to develop the remote parts of province.

“I am here to condole with you and tell you that government will help you at this critical time,” he said. The chief minister also offered fateha for the departed souls and said that a team of skilled divers would help fish out the bodies.

Earlier, Hamidur Rehman, the deputy commissioner of Upper Kohistan, briefed the chief minister about the incident.

APP adds: Four more bodies were recovered by rescue workers on Sunday, an official said.

A total of 12 bodies had been recovered and 12 were still missing, said an official.

A total of 24 persons including eight women and five children were drowned. Deputy Chief Warden Ubaidur Rehman said owing to the shortage of rescue tools the rescue team is facing serious problem in the search operation.