SWAT: Three tourists were killed and 16 injured when a coaster fell into a ditch in Pishmal area of Kalam here on Saturday, the police said.

SHO Kalam police station Ali Bacha said that university students from Lahore had come to the area on a recreation tour. “After spending the night in Kalam valley, they were returning to Lahore on Saturday morning when the bus fell into a ditch in Pishmal area after the driver lost control over the steering.

He said that Waqas Ashraf, Mohammad Abdullah, and Maulvi Atif, all residents of Lahore, died on the spot.

A Rescue 1122 spokesman said that 16 injured tourists were shifted to the Madyan Hospital, wherefrom seven critically injured, were referred to Saidu Sharif Trauma Centre.

The locals said that they along with police and rescue personnel took part in the operation and pulled out the bodies and injured from the vehicle.

They said that Kalam Road was in bad shape at various places after the 2022 floods had washed away some portions of it. They said that while the local administration had repaired the road to some extent, certain areas remained perilous, leading to accidents. They said that the government should immediately reconstruct the sections of the road that had been washed away in floods to prevent further accidents.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2023