Passenger van crash kills 12 in Pakistani Kashmir

MUZAFFARABAD – A passenger van plunged into a ravine in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Sunday, killing at least 12 people and wounding 14 others, police said.

The accident occurred in Arja area, 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

“The 24-seater van was coming to Rawalpindi from Bagh area when it plunged into a ravine at Arja, killing 12 people including women and wounding 14 others,” senior local police official Riaz Abbasi told AFP.

He said the accident apparently happened due to the poor condition of the road, but added: “We are still investigating.”

Pakistan has one of the world’s worst records for fatal traffic accidents due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.