22 missing, 4 bodies recovered as pickup truck falls into river in Kohistan

Four bodies were recovered from Kandia river in Kohistan after a pickup truck carrying 31 passengers fell into it, officials told Dawn on Friday.

According to the initial information available, the vehicle plunged into the river after a wooden bridge on the river collapsed. The river is passing through Barigo area of Kandia district in upper Kohistan.

Kohistan Civil Defence Chief Warden Ihsanul Haq said the fateful truck was heading to Komela from Kandia. He said that the bridge could not sustain the load and collapsed when the vehicle was crossing over it.

He said five men jumped out of the pickup truck before it fell into the river.

The officer added that four bodies have been fished out of the river and work is underway to find the rest. Civil Defence teams, police, and locals are taking part in the operation, he added.

He said four women and five children were onboard the truck when it fell. All four deceased were residents of the same village and were close relatives, he added.