A passenger van fell into a river in Pakistan's northwest district of Kohistan, killing eight people and leaving 18 others missing on Friday evening, police said, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
An official from the district police told media that the passenger van fell into the river after a wooden bridge collapsed in Kundian area of Kohistan, a district in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Local rescuers rushed to the river but could not rescue any one, said the official, adding that they believed that all the passengers have drowned after they were swept away amid strong water flow.
According to the police official, the rescuers managed to retrieve eight bodies from the river but they are facing difficulties in search of others due to the darkness and lack of facilities.
Local administration of the district has sought help from neighboring districts to start an extensive coordinated search operation to find other victims.
The ill-fated vehicle with 26 persons on board was heading from Bari Gaon village to Kamela village of the district.