25 tourists swept away in PoK wooden bridge collapse, 5 dead

More than 25 tourists were swept away when a wooden bridge collapsed in Neelum Valley of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir on Sunday.

Five of them were reported died due to drowning, while search for othere was on till late on Sunday.

Police said the bridge collapsed due to overload when the touring students from Punjab were crossing it in Kundal Shai area.

Officials said between 20 to 25 people were standing on the bridge at the time of the collapse, who were swept away by strong current. Television channels reported that tourists, women and children among them, were taking pictures at the dilapidated bridge over Nullah Jagran when it collapsed.

The rescue teams approached the venue and recovered 13 people so far while five dead bodies were sent to dead house for post- mortem.

Rescue workers said death toll might rise as the tourists were swept away by fast moving current. The injured have been shifted to District Headquarter Hospital Authmuqam and Army Medical center at Jhamber.

Rescue sources said the bridge used to go across the river in Kundal Shahi village of the Neelum Valley collapsed. As a result, more than 25 tourists who were busy snapping pictures on the bridge fell into the river.

The tourists were standing together in the centre of Kundal Shahi bridge to take a picture. The Kundal Shahi bridge could not contain the pressure of their weight.