ISLAMABAD, April 30 (Xinhua) -- At least 11 people were killed and several others injured when a passenger van plunged into a ravine in Pakistan's northwest Upper Dir area on Sunday morning, local Urdu media reported.
Geo TV said the van carrying over 20 people was on its way to neighboring Chitral district when it fall into the ravine near Lowari Top area of Upper Dir, a district located in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Police said the van driver lost control over the vehicle while negotiating a sharp turn at the mountainous terrain.
The injured people have been shifted to a nearby hospital.
Traffic accidents frequently happen in Pakistan due to poorly maintained roads, violation of road safety rules and reckless driving.
According to data compiled by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, over 9,000 road accidents are reported to police every year, killing an average around 5,000 people annually in the country.
Traffic police officials say 90 percent of the accidents in Pakistan are caused merely by human errors.
