At least 11 people were killed and three others injured after a passenger van fell into the Yasin River near Noh Bridge in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB)’s Ghizer District, rescue officials said.
The van was travelling from Gilgit to Hundur, a village in the upper Yasin Valley, when it plunged into the river.
Rescue teams initially reported five deaths and several injuries after reaching the accident site. However, the death toll increased as rescuers retrieved more bodies from the water. Officials confirmed that 11 bodies and three injured passengers had been recovered so far.
The injured were taken to a hospital in Gahkuch, the district headquarters of Ghizer, for medical treatment. Meanwhile, rescue teams continued searching the river for other passengers who may have been on board.
Rescue officials added that darkness was hampering the operation. A specialised water rescue team was also called from Gilgit to assist in the search.
The accident took place days after another fatal road crash involving a passenger bus travelling from Hunza to Rawalpindi. On November 7, eight people died and 30 others sustained injuries when the bus collided with a trailer near Havelian Interchange on the Hazara Motorway.
The National Highways and Motorway Police said that an investigation had been launched to determine the cause of the collision.
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In March 2026, the National Highways and Motorway Police had also launched a special campaign against overcharging, overloading and other traffic violations by public service vehicles.
The force stated that passengers travelling on the top of buses will be removed, while vehicles with defective tyres will not be allowed on the roads.
