Motorcycle rider missing after falling into river from broken bridge
BOONI: Two persons riding a motorcycle fell into Yarkhun river from the broken Mastuj bridge early on Sunday.
One of the motorcyclists was recovered by Rescue 1122 Upper Chitral while the other is still missing. The missing man was identified as Shehzad Hussain, a jawan of Pakistan Army.
The two bike riders were going to Mastuj from Parwak when they fell into the river from the broken part of the bridge. The emergency service said search for the dead body of the victim continued in the flooded river.
Almost all roads and bridges have been affected by unprecedented floods in river and streams. The main road between Chitral Lower and Upper is blocked at different points.
On the other hand, rescue and relief operations are continuing after communication system was affected in Chitral.
A key bridge at Koghuzi on the main road between Chitral and Booni was washed away due to heavy rains. The district administration said NHA constructed an alternate route at Koghuzi and Kari to reopen traffic between Upper and Lower Chitral.
An FIR should be lodged against NHA for killing the victims. The political leaders and scocial activists of Mastuj had been contineously drawing the attention of the NHA authorities towards the delipidated condition of the bridge and the threat it was posing to people’s lives but their repeated appeals only fell on the deaf ear. Eventually it claimed two precious lives for which NHA should be held responsible.