ABBOTTABAD: At least eight persons, including seven women, were killed and 13 others sustained serious injuries when a jeep fell into a ditch in Mera village in Galiyat on Tuesday.
According to police, the jeep, carrying 21 women, was on its way back from Jogan village when it went out of control at a dangerous turn near Mera village and plunged into the hundreds of feet deep ravine.
The women were returning after attending a funeral at Jogan village, they said, adding, five passengers, including a kid, died on the spot.
The police rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies and injured, the officials said, adding, the injured and bodies were shifted to the DHQ Hospital Abbottabad. Officials said five of the injured were taken to the Ayub Teaching Hospital Complex where one of them died and the condition of others was stated to be critical.
Those who died were identified as Ameen Bibi, Asim Bibi, Hameeda, Shumaila Bibi, Shaheen Bibi, Nargas Bibi and Nargas Bibi and a child. Whereabouts of the driver was not known.
Former Naib Nazim of Abbottabad tehsil, Shujja Ahmed, told reporters that they had brought the poor condition of the road into the notice of officials of the C & W department but to no avail.
“In almost all the rural and hilly areas of district Abbottabad; old and outdated jeeps are being used for carrying passengers. These vehicles are never checked by traffic controlling authorities, including motor vehicle examiner,” he added.