Bride among 26 killed in Gilgit bus plunge into river

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Twenty-six members of a wedding party lost their lives as the bus carrying them fell into a river in northwestern Pakistan.

The ill-fated vehicle, coming from Astore town, plunged into the Indus River in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan on Tues­day, a police official said.

Sher Khan, senior superintendent of police for Diamer, said the bus was part of a wedding procession bound for the  Chakwal district of Punjab province.

The vehicle fell into the river at Telchi bridge as the driver lost control due to overspeeding.

Twenty-seven people were on the bus, with rescuers fishing out13 bodies from the river. According to Dawn, the bride was rescued in injured condition and moved to hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.

The 12 missing people were presumed dead. However, officials said, a search for them was ongoing despite the freezing temperature.

Nineteen of the victims belonged to Astore, while four, including the groom, hailed from Chakwal, the newspaper reported.

Five local divers and two boats took part in the rescue effort. The vehicle’s wreckage was pulled out of the river with the help of a crane.

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