(dpa) - At least 14 people were killed when a commuter van plunged into a gorge in Pakistan-controlled Himalayan territory of Kashmir on Wednesday, police said.
The vehicle, carrying 18 passengers, was travelling from a mountain village of Punjkot to Kashmir's capital Muzaffarabad when it veered off the road because of slippery conditions and fell several hundred metres into the ravine.
"Twelve people died on the spot while six were shifted to nearby hospitals," a duty officer in Muzaffarabad police station said.
Two more victims succumbed to injuries at the hospital.
Kashmir is currently in the grip of a strong weather system that has caused heavy rains and hailstorms in the region. Intermittent showers have triggered several landslides which also washed away portions of roads at numerous places.