13 killed as jeep plunges into Neelum river

MUZAFFARABAD: At least 13 people, mostly women and children, were killed and another four injured after a passenger jeep plunged into the icy Neelum River in the upper belt of Neelum Valley on Wednesday, ARY News reported.

The accident occurred at around 11am when a jeep skidded off the highway and plunged into Neelum River. The deceased included four women and three children.

As soon as the incident was reported, the rescue officials immediately reached the site of the accident and started rescue operation.

The rescue teams shifted the bodies to a morgue for medico-legal procedures and the injured to a nearby hospital for medical assistance.

In a similar incident that too happened at Neelum Valley, at least six people, including women and children, had been killed in a road accident in the Taobat area of Neelum Valley district.

A jeep carrying 23 people from Kail to Taobat plunged into the river when the driver lost control over the vehicle, said police.

As a result, all the passengers inside drowned in the river. The bodies were retrieved later by local rescuers, the official added.

Eyewitnesses said that the car was swept away by the river’s strong current, making it difficult for rescue teams to locate it.