MUZAFFARABAD: A young member of a tourist family from Faisalabad was killed and his parents injured after their car fell off the road in the jurisdiction of Panjgran police station of Muzaffarabad district, when it was returning home from Neelum valley.

This incident followed a similar tragedy in Neelum valley on Wednesday, where two tourists died and three others, including their tour operator, drowned after their loader-jeep plunged into a raging water channel.

Eight other tourists survived, some with injuries, according to officials.

Thursday’s Accident

Thursday’s accident occurred at 11am near Dhanni village, approximately 36 kilometers from Muzaffarabad at the gateway of Neelum valley.

The car, carrying the six-member family from Faisalabad, skidded off the road and fell into a ravine, said SHO Panjgran Qazi Khaqan.

As a result, 15-year-old Abdullah died on the spot and his father, Mohammad Zahid Mughal, who was at the wheel, and mother, Hina Zahid, sustained injuries and were hospitalized in Muzaffarabad, he said, adding, three other children of Mr Mughal were unhurt.

Wednesday’s Incident

The accident on Wednesday happened around 1:30pm, as the jeep was heading to the 3683-meter-high Ratti Gali Lake via an 18-kilometer long unmetalled link road, which stems from the main Neelum valley road near Dawarian village.

While negotiating a curve near Jabba, the vehicle encountered trouble, allegedly due to a driveshaft failure. The young driver jumped out to save his life, and the jeep rolled backward into the water channel, tipping over onto its left side, witnesses said.

Local rescuers recovered one body from beneath the overturned vehicle and another downstream near Kalas village.

The deceased were identified as Ahsan Sheikh from Rawalpindi and Mohammad Bachal Attar from Naushahro Feroze (Sindh).

The eight rescued tourists were identified as Abu Musa’b Siddiqui and his wife Sidra Siddiqui from Karachi, Usman Mughal, Abdul Rehman Butt, Subhan Qureshi from Wazirabad, Abdullah Mumtaz Qureshi from Rawalpindi, and Mehwal Attar and Saddam Hussain from Naushahro Feroze. Some of them were hospitalized but were out of danger.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2024