Wedding bus falls into River Indus, claims 14 lives

14 people lost their valuable lives when a wedding bus fell into the Indus River in northern Pakistan on Tuesday. The Gilgit-Baltistan authorities have reported that there were 27 passengers on the bus. As of now, one has been rescued with injuries and 12 are unaccounted for.

Reports of the incident say that it occurred close to the Telchi bridge in Diamer district. According to reports, the cause of the mishap was over-speeding, and the driver lost control as a consequence. According to eyewitnesses, the bus formed part of a wedding procession heading for Chakwal district when it turned off the road and plunged into the river.

Wedding Bus Victims Yet to be Recognized

The rescue mission for the missing passengers is underway but the quick flow of the Indus River also prevented the rescue team from looking for the victims. Rescuers including divers are working overtime to retrieve bodies and are assuring the survivor.

Road accidents are a recurring tragedy in Pakistan, which always keep happening, especially in the rural and mountainous regions. The reason is that infrastructure is often meagre, and traffic regulations are frequently ignored. Poor road conditions and reckless driving are major contributors to the high number of fatal incidents.

This is the second disaster of this type in months. The first was in August, when two separate bus crashes in north and south Pakistan accounted for at least 34 deaths. Fatal accidents are happening alarmingly often despite repeated appeals for stricter enforcement of traffic laws and better road safety measures.

The Gilgit-Baltistan government has sent condolences to the families of the victims and promised it will probe the circumstances that led to the crash. Authorities have also called upon drivers to be on the lookout, especially on mountain roads that are full of hazardous bends and curves.

This tragedy underlines how more such tragedies are required only because the safety measures have improved and roads have gotten better.