MUZAFFARABAD: At least 25 schoolchildren and a driver were injured when a van plunged into a gorge near Chikar hill station in the Neelum Valley of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
According to the AJK police, the injured were promptly shifted to the DHQ Hospital Hattian Bala and Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital Chikar. Superintendent Police (SP) Mirza Zahid reported that the van driver and two children are in critical condition.
The accident occurred near Chikar, a popular hill station, where road accidents are common due to challenging terrain, poor driving skills, lack of safety measures, and underdeveloped road infrastructure. Vehicles, often overloaded with passengers, are prone to overturning in such regions.
This incident follows a similar tragic event in May, when five policemen, including Assistant Director Zakir Awan and IG’s Reader Ali Bukhari, lost their lives in a car accident in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Dhirkot tehsil.
In terms of overall road safety, traffic accidents in Pakistan dropped by over 33% in 2024 compared to 2023, according to official statistics. In AJK, 409 road accidents were reported in 2024, including 111 fatal incidents, a slight increase from 391 accidents and 115 fatalities in 2023.
