12 killed as tourist bus falls into ditch in Chilas

GILGIT/LAHORE/KARACHI: A tourist bus on Sunday skidded off the road and fell into a ravine on the Karakoram Highway near Thalichi in Diamer district, near Chilas, Gilgit-Baltistan killing at least 12 people.

A coaster carrying tourists plunged into a gorge on the Karakoram Highway near Thalichi, killing at least 12 people and injuring 6 others, including women and children.

The coaster was going to Gilgit from Lahore. Rescue teams recovered the dead bodies and shifted them to a hospital. According to the sources the tourist coaster skidded off the road due to high speed. The local administration has started efforts to identify the names of the dead tourists.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed his deep grief and sorrow over loss of lives in an unfortunate tourists’ bus accident at Karakoram Highway in Thalichi area of Diamer district. The prime minister expressed his sympathies and condolences with the bereaved families, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. He prayed for the departed souls and for the bereaved families to bear the losses with fortitude. The prime minister ordered an inquiry to ascertain the facts causing the fatal accident.

He also directed the relevant authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan for immediate relief activities, besides directing the federal departments to assist them.

The prime minister directed for provision of all available treatment to the injured and prayed for their early recovery.

Meanwhile, PPP Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed his grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in a Karakoram highway bus incident here on Sunday.

He said, “I am saddened to hear the news about the incident of a tourist bus.” He condoled with the bereaved families of bus passengers, who lost their lives in the incident.

Bilawal also prayed for the early recovery of the injured persons and stressed the need for preparing a strategy to avert such incidents in the future.