Seven killed when passenger jeep tumbles down mountain road near Muzaffarabad

Around noon on Sunday, a passenger jeep traveling from Nakka Shakkar Pattiyan village toward Seri Darra village plunged down a mountain slope near Sathra Podemar, about three kilometres from its departure point. The driver, Abdul Waheed, lost control while navigating a landslide-affected segment, causing the vehicle to tumble down an estimated 1,000-1,500 feet and roll several times before coming to rest. All seven occupants - Abdul Waheed, Muhammad Khalid, Shafaat, Fayyaz Ahmed, and his sons Ubaid Fayyaz, Azam Fayyaz, and Iftikhar Hussain - were killed instantly, their bodies scattered across the wreckage.

Residents and Rescue 1122 personnel recovered the remains, which were later handed to relatives for burial. Police and local officials highlighted the region’s hazardous road conditions, noting frequent accidents linked to poor infrastructure, reckless driving, and aging vehicles. Recent similar crashes in the Neelum Valley underscore ongoing safety concerns in the mountainous areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.