The bodies of four friends from Gujrat, Punjab, who went missing during a road trip in northern Pakistan, were recovered on Friday near the banks of the Indus River in Skardu.
According to initial reports, the vehicle carrying the tourists plunged approximately 500 feet into a deep ravine while en route to Skardu. Rescue 1122 officials confirmed that the car was found near the riverbank, and a crane was used to retrieve it from the steep terrain after rescue teams accessed the site using ropes.
The deceased were identified as 36-year-old Waseem Shehzad and 20-year-old Umair Ehsan, both cousins from Kot Gakka near Mangowal; 23-year-old Salman Nasrullah Sandhu from Jasoki; and 23-year-old Usman Dar from Saroki. The four had reached Gilgit on May 13 for a sightseeing trip.
DIG Gilgit Range Raja Mirza Hassan stated that police records show the group began their journey to Skardu from Hunza on May 15, stopping overnight at a hotel in Danyor, Gilgit, near the Karakoram Highway. Their mobile phones were switched off the next day, May 16, after they resumed their journey.
Authorities last traced their location to Jaglot, Gilgit. The group had planned to reach Astak, Skardu, but remained untraceable for several days, prompting an extensive search operation.
Efforts were led jointly by Gilgit-Baltistan Police and Rescue 1122 along the treacherous Jaglot-Skardu Road, which runs adjacent to the Indus River—a stretch currently experiencing dangerous water levels.
One of the victim’s fathers recalled speaking to his son for the last time on May 16 and had appealed to the Gilgit-Baltistan government, the Chief Secretary, and the IGP for help in locating the missing tourists.
Rescue operations began immediately after the group was reported missing and continued until the vehicle and the bodies were located this week.
