Muzaffarabad jeep crash: 7 killed as vehicle plunges 1,000 feet in AJK
Seven people, including a father and his two sons, were killed when a passenger jeep fell down a mountain slope near Muzaffarabad on Sunday — a day after four children died in a similar crash in Neelum Valley.
At a glance
- Seven people were killed around noon on Sunday, October 25, 2026, when a passenger jeep plunged down a mountain slope on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
- A police report says the jeep fell roughly 1,000 to 1,500 feet after the driver lost control on a stretch of road damaged by a landslide; police are also examining reports of brake failure.
- The dead include the 40-year-old driver and a 50-year-old man with his two sons, aged 27 and 17. All seven died at the scene.
- It was the second deadly vehicle fall in AJK in two days, after four children were killed in Neelum Valley on Saturday.
Seven people were killed around noon on Sunday, October 25, 2026, when a passenger jeep plunged down a steep mountain slope on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Police said the driver lost control on a stretch of road damaged by a landslide and the jeep fell roughly 1,000 to 1,500 feet, killing everyone on board at the scene. A father and his two sons were among the dead.
What happened
The jeep had left the village of Nakka Shakkar Pattiyan for Seri Darra, north-east of Muzaffarabad, and had travelled barely three kilometres when it went off the road near Sathra Podemar village. According to the police report, the driver lost control while passing a section of road affected by a landslide. The vehicle rolled over several times as it fell down the slope before coming to rest as a wreck far below.
Police sources also mentioned an alleged brake failure as a possible cause, and investigators are looking at both explanations. The exact cause has not been officially confirmed.
Muzaffarabad's Additional Deputy Commissioner Zeeshan Nisar said the victims' bodies were spread across the crash site. Residents were the first to reach the scene and began recovering the bodies; Rescue 1122 teams later joined them. Police handed the bodies over to the families for burial.
| Detail | What is known |
|---|---|
| Date and time | Sunday, October 25, 2026, around 12pm |
| Place | Near Sathra Podemar village, outskirts of Muzaffarabad, AJK |
| Route | Nakka Shakkar Pattiyan to Seri Darra |
| Fall | About 1,000–1,500 feet (police report) |
| Killed | 7, all at the scene |
| Possible cause | Loss of control on landslide-hit road; brake failure also being examined |
The victims
According to the police report, those killed were:
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Abdul Waheed (driver) | 40 |
| Fayyaz Ahmed | 50 |
| Ubaid Fayyaz (son of Fayyaz Ahmed) | 27 |
| Azam Fayyaz (son of Fayyaz Ahmed) | 17 |
| Shafaat | 35 |
| Muhammad Khalid | 30 |
| Iftikhar Hussain | 18 |
Some early reports gave different names for a few of the victims and described two of them as children; the list above is from the police report.
Background: a deadly weekend on AJK's roads
Sunday's crash came a day after four children were killed when a vehicle fell into a ravine about 500 metres deep in the Neelum Valley, also in AJK. In May, four people died when a jeep fell into a streambed in the same area near Muzaffarabad.
Road accidents are frequent in AJK's mountainous districts. Many villages are linked only by narrow, unpaved or poorly maintained roads cut into steep hillsides, often without guard rails. Landslides regularly damage these roads, especially after rain, and loose rock and mud can make a stretch dangerous without warning.
Many people in remote villages depend on shared passenger jeeps, which are often old and modified locally to carry more passengers or goods. Safety campaigners have long questioned how such vehicles are certified as fit for the road and how strictly transport and loading rules are enforced.
Reactions
Local officials expressed grief over the deaths, and police said an investigation had been opened into the exact circumstances of the crash. Residents of the area have repeatedly called for repairs to landslide-hit roads and for safety barriers on the most dangerous bends.
Why it matters
Mountain road crashes kill dozens of people every year in AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan and the northern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Each accident often takes several members of the same family, as on Sunday, leaving households without their main earners. Two fatal falls on consecutive days are likely to add to pressure on the AJK government to repair damaged roads before winter, when snow and landslides make travel even more dangerous.
What happens next
Police are investigating whether the landslide-damaged road, a mechanical failure or both caused the crash. The funerals of the seven victims are expected in their home villages. Authorities have not yet announced any new road-safety measures for the area.
Safety advice for mountain roads
- Avoid travelling on landslide-hit roads during or soon after rain.
- Do not board an overloaded jeep or one with obvious mechanical problems.
- Drivers should slow down on unpaved bends and use low gears on long descents to avoid brake overheating.
- In an emergency in AJK, call Rescue 1122.
Questions people are asking
What happened in the Muzaffarabad jeep accident?
On Sunday, October 25, 2026, a passenger jeep travelling from Nakka Shakkar Pattiyan to Seri Darra, north-east of Muzaffarabad, went off a landslide-hit stretch of road and fell about 1,000 to 1,500 feet. All seven people on board were killed.
How many people died in the AJK jeep crash?
Seven people died: the driver and six passengers, including a father and his two sons. Rescue 1122 and residents recovered the bodies, which police handed over to the families.
Why are there so many jeep accidents in Azad Kashmir?
Narrow mountain roads, frequent landslides, steep drops, ageing and locally modified vehicles and weak enforcement of fitness rules are the factors most often blamed. Two fatal falls happened in the region on consecutive days this weekend.
