Poonch: 9 dead as car carrying wedding party falls into gorge

At least nine people died and four others including two children were injured after a Tata Sumo veered off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in Tarraran Wali Gali in Bafliaz area of Poonch district on Thursday evening

At least nine people died and four others including two children were injured after a Tata Sumo veered off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in Tarraran Wali Gali in Bafliaz area of Poonch district on Thursday evening.

Rescue teams have been sent to the accident site, which is a far-flung and hilly area. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

An officer on duty at the police control room in Poonch said, “The vehicle carrying people from a marriage ceremony in Marha area of Surankote was returning to Bafliaz when it plunged into a deep gorge in Tarraran Wali Gali on Thursday evening”.

He added that rescue teams have been sent to the accident site, which is a far-flung and hilly area.

Six of the nine dead have been identified as Gulam Rabani, 55, of Salyan; Mohammad Fazal, 60, of Salyan, Mushtaq Ahmed, 63, of Salyan, Fazal Ahmed, 62, of Gursai, Gulam Galani, 55, of Gursai and Mohammad Akbar, 62, of Dangala.

“The vehicle was overloaded beyond its authorized capacity of seven. Prima facie, it appeared that the vehicle carrying 13 people was being driven negligently on the hilly road by the driver Zahir Abbas, 24, of Gursai,” said a police officer.