Bodies of four missing Gujrat tourists recovered from ravine in Skardu

SKARDU: Rescue officials on Saturday confirmed the recovery of bodies of four tourists from Gujrat who had gone missing while travelling from Gilgit to Skardu, after their vehicle was found in a deep ravine near Istak village in Skardu’s Roundu valley.

According to rescue officer Ghulam Rasool, the ill-fated vehicle plunged into a gorge along the Baltistan Highway. Two bodies have already been retrieved, while efforts are underway to recover the remaining two.

Police said the tourists, who went missing on the night of May 15, were travelling from Gilgit to Skardu when their vehicle lost control and fell into the ravine.

The deceased include young men from Gujrat, Punjab, while family sources confirmed that one of the victims was a Pakistani-origin Italian national.

Search and rescue operations had been ongoing for several days before the vehicle was located in the Istak Nullah. Local authorities and rescue teams continue to work to retrieve the remaining bodies and clear the accident site.

Last month, a Thai woman was killed and another injured after a vehicle carrying foreign tourists was struck by falling rocks in the mountainous Ganache district of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

The incident occurred around midday near the Ghawari area, as the tourists were travelling from Skardu to Khaplu.

Local authorities said the vehicle, identified as a TZ model, was hit by rocks falling from a hillside, causing the death of one passenger at the scene and injuring another.

According to a statement from Rescue 1122 Ghanche, five people were on board the vehicle at the time.