Four Children Die as Van Plunges Into Ravine in Neelum Valley

Four children died and three other people were injured when a van carrying them to a madrasah plunged into a ravine in Neelum Valley on Saturday, October 24, 2026. The Neelum Valley van accident happened in the upper reaches of the valley in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

Neelum Valley District Disaster Management Officer Akhtar Ayoub said the van was travelling from Nagdar, about 22 kilometres from the district headquarters of Athmuqam, along the Keran bypass link road when it left the road. The vehicle fell more than 500 metres into a rocky ravine.

Neelum Valley van accident: what happened on the Keran road

The accident occurred at about 8:30am near Ghorray Nakkah Morr in Nagdar, barely half a kilometre into the journey, Ayoub said. The driver was negotiating a sharp bend when the van went off the road.

Three children died at the scene. Four other occupants were injured in the fall, and one of the injured children later died at the District Headquarters Hospital in Athmuqam, taking the death toll to four. The remaining injured were later shifted to Muzaffarabad for treatment because their condition was critical.

Rescue teams reached the site after the alarm was raised and worked to recover the victims from the ravine. Officials have not yet stated a cause for the crash, and the details of how the van left the road are still being established.

Condolences and a warning on mountain roads

Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq expressed grief over the loss of young lives and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. In a message on X, he offered condolences to the bereaved families.

“Deeply saddened by the loss of precious young lives in the tragic accident in Neelum Valley today. My heartfelt condolences go out to the bereaved families, and I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he wrote.

He added a caution for drivers on hill routes. “Mountain roads demand utmost caution; even a momentary lapse can have tragic consequences. Please drive carefully,” he said.

Why mountain routes in Pakistan carry extra risk

Neelum Valley roads run along steep slopes with sharp bends and deep drops at the roadside, and a single error can turn serious in seconds. Saturday’s crash follows a pattern seen in the same region earlier this year, which officials cited in their account of the incident.

A similar accident occurred in April, when three people died and 10 others were injured after a passenger van plunged into a deep ravine in the Maidan Nambatai area. On May 11, four people, including two women, died and two others were injured after a passenger jeep plunged hundreds of feet into a rocky streambed.

For families in the valley, school and madrasah transport is a daily journey over this terrain. That is why the condition of vehicles, the state of the road, and care at bends matter so much on these routes, and why each new crash renews calls for stricter checks on vehicles that carry children.

Road safety has been in the news across Pakistan in recent days. The government has moved to increase fines for vehicle overloading, while Pakistan Railways has declared a three-month emergency after a run of accidents. Separately, authorities in Rawalpindi have set a registration deadline for private schools, a reminder that safety checks on institutions that carry children are under scrutiny.

What happens next

Officials are expected to confirm the identities of the victims and the full condition of the injured as hospital updates arrive. Police and disaster officials will also establish whether the van suffered a fault or whether the bend and road condition played a part.

No further official statement on the cause had been issued at the time of reporting. The families of the victims are being supported locally, and the injured remain under treatment in Muzaffarabad.

Frequently asked questions

How many children died in the Neelum Valley van accident?

Four children died. Three died at the scene and one later died in hospital in Athmuqam. Three other people were injured.

Where did the Neelum Valley van accident happen?

Near Ghorray Nakkah Morr in Nagdar, about 22 kilometres from Athmuqam, on the Keran bypass link road in Neelum Valley.

When did the accident happen?

At about 8:30am on Saturday, October 24, 2026, shortly after the van set off from Nagdar.

Where were the children travelling to?

The van was carrying the children to a madrasah when it plunged into the ravine, according to officials.