rki.news

Altaf Hamid Rao

MIRPUR (AJK), May 29: At least seven people were killed after an overloaded three-wheeler rickshaw skidded off the road and plunged into a deep ravine in the Khurshidabad area of Haveli Kahuta district in Azad Jammu and Kashmir late Thursday, police said Friday.

According to regional police, the ill-fated vehicle was carrying tourists returning home from a recreational trip when the accident occurred at Mana Mor. The rickshaw reportedly lost control on a mountainous road and fell into a deep ditch.

Two passengers, including the driver, died on the spot, while five others sustained critical injuries. Rescue teams, local administration officials and residents rushed to the scene and launched an immediate rescue operation. The injured were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Haveli Kahuta for emergency medical treatment.

Police said the critically injured passengers were later referred to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital in Islamabad, where they succumbed to their injuries.

The deceased were identified as Iftikhar son of Bilal, Idrees son of Inayat Ullah, Shahzeb son of Aurangzeb, Aaqib son of Hidayat Ullah, Omer son of Iqbal Khan, Faisal son of Iqbal Kiyani and Waqar son of Riaz Khan.

Police have initiated investigations to determine the exact cause of the accident.

Meanwhile, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq expressed deep grief over the tragic loss of lives. Haveli district, the hometown constituency of AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, observed mourning following the incident.

According to an official notification issued by the AJK government, a two-day mourning period has been announced in Haveli district on May 29 and 30 to honor the victims of the tragic accident.