GILGIT: A van carrying tourists plunged into a ravine in Gilgit-Baltistan on Sunday, resulting in the death of six people and injuries to 17 others.

The accident occurred on the Karakoram Highway near the Thalichi area on the border between districts Gilgit and Diamer. According to Gilgit Division Commissioner Najeeb Alam, the coaster carrying 27 tourists was going to Gilgit from Lahore when it skidded off the road at a sharp turn. He said the accident was caused due to speeding.

Three people died on the spot as Rescue 1122 officials, police and local volunteers shifted the injured to the Jaglot hospital. After initial treatment, the injured were shifted to PHQ Hospital and RHQ Hospital in Gilgit where an emergency was imposed. Three more succumbed to injuries in hospitals, taking the toll to six, including five women.

Commissioner Alam added 21 people were still under treatment while the condition of five injured was critical.

After legal and medical procedures the bodies and injured will be sent to native areas.

Tourists from Karachi, Rawalpindi were going to Gilgit; 16 fatalities in three accidents reported so far this month

He added nine tourists on the bus were from Karachi and 16 from Rawalpindi. The driver and co-driver were from Mardan.

GB Chief Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani also visited hospitals and met injured people and inquired about their health.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari expressed grief over the.

The prime minister also expressed sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

Mr Sharif also ordered an inquiry to ascertain the facts leading to the fatal accident and directed the GB government to ensure immediate relief and rescue activities.

The foreign minister stressed the need for preparing a strategy to avert such incidents in the future.

In separate statements, GB Chief Minister Gulbar Khan, Governor Syed Mehdi Shah members of the GB assembly also expressed grief over the incident

The chief minister directed the health department to ensure the provision of the best medical facilities to the injured.

The governor has also ordered authorities to make arrangements to send bodies to their native areas.

He said safety barriers should be installed along the Karakoram Highway to avoid such accidents.

Earlier this month, 10 tourists lost their lives in three accidents on the highway.

Contributing factors

The meandering highway with sharp turns and steep slopes lacks protective barriers and warning signs resulting in frequent accidents.

Last week, a collision between two jeeps near Deosai resulted in the death of five members of a family who were on vacation. The family from Baltistan was going towards the Deosai National Park from Skardu. They were passing through the Deosai road when an oncoming jeep hit their vehicle.

On July 4, five tourists were killed and 13 injured in two traffic accidents in Hunza.

The accidents have come at a time when tourists influx in GB from other parts of the country was at its peak. According to Chief Secretary Wani, 10,000 local and foreign tourists were entering the region every day.

According to officials, one of the reasons for accidents is that most tourists arrive in the scenic region with non-native drivers who are not familiar with the highway and rugged off-road terrains.

Akbar Hussain, a local, claimed road accidents on the KKH were reported almost on a daily basis whenever the tourism season started.

The non-native drivers don’t know how to drive on these roads, Mr Hussain said, adding that they frequently overtake other vehicles and take sharp turns while speeding.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2023