Five people died, and four were missing when their Toyota Hiace van fell into River Jhelum in Kahuta area of Rawalpindi. According to details, the van, carrying 14 passengers, was coming from Hajera in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and plunged into the river while navigating a sharp turn near Garari Bridge in the Kahuta area of Rawalpindi on Thursday. According to Rescue 1122, five people have been confirmed dead while five others including the driver were rescued. Navy divers have arrived at the accident site and joined the operation to locate the missing passengers.

Three of the deceased were identified as Khawaja Naeem, 45, an assistant professor at a government inter college in Hajira; his mother, Fatima Begum, 67; and Adeel Arif, 22. The fourth victim was later identified as Shaukat Khan, a resident of Buner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who was earning his livelihood in Hajira. His body was shifted to CMH Rawalakot, where it would be handed over to his family upon their arrival, said Sudhnoti Deputy Commissioner Mumtaz Hussain Kazmi.

The identity of the fifth victim was yet to be ascertained. District Emergency Officer 1122 Rawalpindi Sighbatullah said that five people have been rescued so far and were rushed to the Kahuta Tehsil Hospital in Rawalpindi. Sudhnoti Deputy Commissioner Mumtaz Hussain Kazmi also confirmed that among the five survivors, Basit — the driver’s helper — later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Rawalpindi.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)