16 killed after coach falls into river in Pakistan

Islamabad, Nov 13 : At least 16 people were killed and two others injured after a passenger coach fell into a river in Pakistan's northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region, an official said.

The spokesperson for the region, Faiz Ullah Faraq, said on Tuesday in a statement that a passenger coach carrying 26 persons fell into the river in the Thalichi area of the Diamer district of the region.

According to the spokesperson, locals and rescue teams rushed to the site to launch an operation and managed to save the lives of the two persons, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Rescuers have managed to take out 16 bodies and two injured," said the spokesperson, adding that eight persons are still missing.

The official said that the coach carrying a wedding party was heading towards the country's eastern Chakwal district from the Astore area of the GB region when the accident occurred.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief and conveyed his condolences to the victims' relatives while advising authorities to make maximum efforts to search for the missing persons.