Pakistani police say at least 17 passengers have been killed in a road accident that saw a bus plunge into a gorge in northern Pakistan.
Police suspect that the bus driver was speeding on the slippery road, in the mountainous terrain, and that this caused the accident—though the investigation is still going on.
According to officials the bus was headed to Rawalpindi from Gilgit Baltistan's Ghizer area, reports DAWN.
Upper Kohistan District Police Officer Abdul Ghafoor, accompanied by a police team, reached the spot and began the rescue operations to retrieve the dead bodies. However they faced problems communicating due to disruptions to mobile networks.
Police officials confirmed that the bodies of the 17 deceased have been retrieved from the ravine but warned that the death toll could rise—as rescue operations are still underway to ascertain if there are any bodies remaining.
An eyewitness, Sharif Khan, said that the incident took place in the evening and it was only much later that he received a signal on his mobile phone and was able to inform the police.
Ambulances and private vehicles had been dispatched to the site, police said, adding that since the site is in a remote location, it will be some time before the bodies are retrieved.
An emergency was declared in the Dasu rural health centre in Upper Kohistan as news of the accident spread throughout the district.
According to local residents, the portion of Karakoram Highway where the accident occurred had become dangerous because frequent landslides hit vehicles.
