15 bodies recovered from Pakistan van wreckage

Islamabad -- Army and civilian rescuers Saturday recovered 15 bodies from the wreckage of a van that was crushed in a landslide in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, news reports said.

The vehicle carrying 18 passengers was buried beneath boulders Friday in Kotli district, over 75 km east of here.

Three people were hospitalised with serious injuries. The rescue work continued through the night, officials told the Urdu-language Jang newspaper.

The mountainous region has been prone to landslides after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake occurred in October 2005, killing over 75,000 people.