1 dead, 17 missing as passenger van plunges into Pak river

Islamabad, June 8 (IANS) One person was killed and 17 others were reported missing after a passenger van plunged into a river in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a rescue official said.The body of a woman has been recovered, Muhamad Hamza, an official of emergency rescue service Rescue 1122 in Upper Kohistan told Xinhua news agency late Monday, adding that rescue teams have been searching for other missing passengers of the van.The incident happened when the driver lost control of the vehicle carrying 18 people while giving a sharp turn. The passenger van then veered off into the Indus River in the Pani Bagh area of Upper Kohistan, and got submerged immediately, said the official.He said professional divers of the rescue service along with local volunteers have been taking part in the rescue activities, adding that another team of trained divers has also been dispatched from Peshawar city to speed up the rescue operation.The van was travelling from Chilas to Rawalpindi.
--IANS ksk/