MUZAFFARABAD(National Times)- At least 26 schoolchildren and a driver sustained injuries after a van fell into a gorge near Chikar hill station in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Neelum Valley. The AJK police said that the injured children and van driver were shifted to the hospital. According to the Superintendent Police (SP) Mirza Zahid, the van driver and two children are in critical condition. The affected children were taken to the DHQ Hospital — Hattian Bala and Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital — Chikar. Road accidents are common in the country’s mountainous regions, largely due to poor driving skills, lack of safety measures, challenging terrain, and derelict road infrastructure. Buses and trucks are normally filled beyond their capacities with passengers which also cause vehicles to overturn. In May, five policemen including Assistant Director Zakir Awan and IG’s Reader Ali Bukhari died in a horrific accident after their car fell into a ravine in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Dhirkot tehsil. The incident took place in Lasdana, a tourist destination in AJK’s Bagh district, in which five cops lost their lives. Policemen Fahim, SHO Naveed and Inspector Yasir Kiani were also among the deceased, according to Bagh deputy commissioner. According to official statistics, traffic accidents in Pakistan dropped by over 33% in 2024 if compared with 2023. A total of 6,233 traffic accidents took place countrywide in 2024 among which 4,231 were fatal traffic accidents. In 2023, a total number of 9,333 road accidents took place across the country among which 3,820 were fatal traffic accidents. In Azad Jammu Kashmir, 409 road accidents were reported among which 111 were fatal accidents and 298 were non-fatal accidents. In 2023, AJK reported a total of 391 road accidents where 115 were fatal and 276 were non-fatal accidents.