GILGIT: In a tragic incident on Tuesday, a tourist vehicle plunged into a ravine in Astore, resulting in the deaths of at least three women, with several others reported missing.
The vehicle, identified by its Islamabad number plate AJA 746, was headed to the picturesque Tarrishing Valley when the accident occurred. According to rescue sources, the incident took place near the Purana Kot area of Harcho Valley on the Astore Valley road. A landslide struck the vehicle, causing it to plummet into the Astore River. The impact was fatal for three women, who died instantly.
The vehicle was carrying members of a single family from Islamabad, who had planned to visit the scenic Tarrishing Valley, where they had booked a hotel. Upon hearing of the accident, locals rushed to the scene and managed to retrieve the bodies from the debris. Eyewitnesses reported that Rescue 1122 teams arrived late due to the challenging terrain and the distance from the main Astore area.
At the accident site, rescue teams found two service cards identifying the victims as Brigadier (Retired) Shabbir Ahmed and Air Commodore (Retired) Sher Zada Khan. The discovery of children’s sandals at the scene suggested that the number of fatalities could be higher.
Three rescue teams have been dispatched from Astore, and two teams from Chilas are searching for bodies between Thalichi and the accident site. The exact number of individuals in the vehicle remains unknown, as there was no entry recorded at the Doyan Check Post.
Two bodies have been recovered and transferred to Astore District Headquarters Hospital. The body of the third woman has yet to be retrieved from the debris. Rescue efforts are ongoing as authorities continue to search for the missing and recover any additional bodies from the river.
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