Four more bodies retrieved from Kandia River in Kohistan

PESHAWAR: Rescue teams have retrieved more four bodies of those who lost their lives in a road incident in Upper Kohistan on Friday night.

According to local police, so far bodies of 12 people have been recovered while a search to retrieve the rest of the bodies is still underway.

At least 24 passengers were killed while two were wounded after a bus carrying 35 people fell into the Kandia river due to a bridge collapse.

The passengers including women and children belonged to two families that were travelling to attend a function.

DPO Kohistan Raja Abdul Saboor while speaking to the media had said the final police report will be issued after investigators probe into the accident. He added that police and rescue officials were facing difficulties in carrying out the relief and rescue operation due to darkness and unavailability of resources.

However, Upper Kohistan Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hamidur Rehman has said that expert teams have been dispatched to fish out bodies from the river and are hopeful of making recoveries.

KP Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan said that he was grieved for the loss of lives and directed DC Hamidur to expedite the search operation by using all available resources and cooperating with the affected families.

Earlier on August 12, at least five people had lost their lives and eight others were wounded after their passenger van fell into a ravine in the Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

According to police, the van was going to Barawal area from Teemargara area in Lower Dir. The driver lost control of the vehicle, due to which it veered off the course and plunged into the ravine.

It is pertinent to mention here that all of the 70 suspension wooden bridges that are being used for crossing the Kandia river as well as other smaller streams are in dire need of renovation.