Eight of a family die as vehicle plunges into river in Mansehra

MANSEHRA: At least eight members of a family, including a woman and her two children, were killed and three others sustained injuries when a pickup vehicle plunged into the Siran River in Gujjara area here on Sunday. "The police rushed to the scene and shifted the dead and injured to hospitals with the help of locals," District Police Officer Asif Bahadur told reporters.

The vehicle, carrying a family, was on its way to Tarmung village in Pulrah area of the district when the driver couldn't control over the steering while negotiating a sharp turn and the vehicle plunged into the rivers.

The police and locals rushed to the spot and fished out bodies and shifted them to the Civil Hospital in Pulrah from where three of them were shifted to the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital in Mansehra.

Those who died in the accident were identified as Muhammad Ajaz, Muhammad Pervez, Fareeda Bibi, Nagina Bibi and her two sons, Wazir Muhammad and Shaheen Bibi and son. According to police, the family had come back to Mansehra for shopping and were on their way back home when the incident happened.

The local MNA, Muhammad Sajjad Awan, also reached the spot and monitored the Rescue activities. "It is unfortunate that the Communication and Works Department did not build a boundary wall along the road at the dangerous point where accidents have frequently taken place here," Sajjad Awan said.