18 killed as passenger van falls into ravine in northwest Pakistan

At least 18 people were killed and several others injured when a passenger van fell into a ravine in Pakistan's northwest Battagram district on Tuesday afternoon, local media reported.
ARY News said that the ill-fated van with over 25 people onboard was passing through the mountainous terrain when it plunged into a deep ravine in Kot Gullah area of Battagram, a district located in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Police said that the van was on its way from Battagram to neighboring Basham area when it met the accident while negotiating a sharp turn.
The killed and injured people include women and kids.
Rescue teams and residents retrieved the bodies and injured people from the ravine and shifted them to a nearby hospital.
Road accidents frequently happen in Pakistan mainly due to negligence of drivers, dilapidated roads and poorly maintained vehicles.