Five dead as vehicle plunges into ravine in AJK

At least five people lost their lives, and three others sustained injuries when a vehicle skidded off a cliff and fell into a ravine in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Haveli district, police reported on Sunday.

According to officials from the Police Control Room Haveli, the accident occurred when the driver lost control of the vehicle on a wet and icy road.

The vehicle, carrying more than 15 passengers, was en route from Forward Kahuta to Rawalpindi when it met with the tragic incident near Mahmood Gali.

Initial reports suggest that some passengers had disembarked to inspect black ice on the road when the mishap took place.

The steep gorge, described as being several hundred feet deep, made the rescue operation challenging.

Local residents and rescue teams rushed the injured to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. The deceased have been identified as Khalid Hussain, son of Naik Alam; Chaudhry Khursheed, son of Mohammad Deen; Malik Sherbaz Awan, son of Suba Khan; and Abdul Rauf Rathore, son of Mohammad Khan.

Authorities have urged travelers to exercise extreme caution while driving on icy roads, particularly in mountainous regions.