Van falls into river in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, killing 16, mostly children

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan -- A van fell from a mountain road into a river in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, killing 16 people, mostly children, and injuring several others, Pakistani police and government officials said Monday.

The incident happened in the Neelam Valley on Sunday, according to a statement released by the disaster management authority. The dead included nine children and four women, while four people were injured when they jumped from the van before it fell into the fast-flowing Neelam River, it added.

Kashmir is divided between neighboring India and Pakistan, with both claiming the entire territory.

Authorities said divers had so far found six bodies and the search for the other bodies was still underway. According to police, there was no chance of finding any survivors.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan due to poor road infrastructure and disregard for traffic laws and safety standards.

Last month, 28 people were killed and 20 others injured when a speeding passenger bus fell from a highway into a rocky ravine in the southwestern Baluchistan province.