Bodies of missing Gujrat tourists found in gorge near Skardu

GILGIT: The week-long mystery surrounding the disappearance of four tourists from Punjab’s Gujrat district was resolved on Saturday when their vehicle was found in a ravine near Astak Nallah along the Gilgit-Skardu road.

All four young men were found dead. “It took us the whole day to retrieve the bodies and the wreckage from the ravine,” said a Rescue 1122 official G.R Malik. “The bodies have been shifted to the nearby civil hospital.”

The tourists — Wasif Shahzad, 36; Umar Ehsan, 20; Salman Sindhu, 23; and Usman Dar, 23 — had been on a road trip to the north, and were last seen on May 16. The group, all related, had set off from Gujrat on May 12 for a tour of Gilgit, Hunza, and Skardu.

Their sudden disappearance had created panic among relatives, who rushed to Gilgit and appealed to both local authorities and the public for help in locating their loved ones.

According to police, the last confirmed contact with the group was on the evening of May 15, when they stayed at a guesthouse in Danyor, near Gilgit. The next morning, they departed for Skardu but were not heard from again.

A search operation was launched after the families lodged complaints, and CCTV footage later showed their vehicle passing through the Sasi area on the Jaglot-Skardu Road at 10:37am on May 16. However, no further trace of them was found, and there was no record of their car crossing the Dambodas checkpoint.

On Saturday, the wreckage of the vehicle was located in a deep gorge near Ganji Padi — a dangerous stretch of the winding mountainous road. Rescue 1122 officials said three bodies were found inside the car and one outside. Personnel from local police, tourist police, and rescue teams took part in the recovery operation.

Speaking to The News, Skardu Deputy Commissioner Arif Ahmed confirmed the incident and expressed condolences to the families. “This is a tragic loss. We are reviewing safety measures along the route to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.

The Gilgit-Skardu road, popular among tourists for its dramatic views, is also known for its sharp bends and lack of protective barriers in several sections.