Eight killed as bus falls into gorge

ABBOTTABAD: As many as eight people were killed and 32 others sustained injuries when a passenger bus hit another vehicle and then fell into a ravine near Khaira Gali on Abbottabad-Murree road Monday morning.

The incident occurred allegedly due to over-speeding and overtaking by the drivers. According to the passengers, both the buses on way to Rawalpindi from Malkote and Ayubia went out of control when their drivers tried to overtake each other, leading one of them to fall into a deep gorge.

Eight passengers died and 32 were shifted to different hospitals. Some people were given on-the-spot treatment by the Rescue 1122 personnel and policemen, whereas the condition of six was stated to be critical.

Among the dead were Ziaur Rehman, Rashid, Usman, and two others whose identities could not be established. An emergency was declared at Civil Hospital in Murree where some injured were shifted for treatment.