PESHAWAR, Feb 23: Death toll from the Friday’s bus accident rose to 19 as four bodies were recovered on Saturday from the flooded nullah where the vehicle taking people to a wedding party had fallen, rescuers said.

A spokesman of the 1122 rescue service Aruj Sherazi told Dawn with the latest recovery of four bodies -- three children and one woman -- the total death toll reached to 19.

However, he said the operation was still continuing and there were chances of recovery of more people. According to the people of the Badoo Samarbagh village, wherefrom the ill-fated bus started its journey towards Mardan, the death toll might increase.

Local police while referring to the statements of the relatives of the victims said that 11 people were still missing.

Officials said the operation for recovery of the missing people was still going on but it seemed that they might have washed away by the floodwater.

Meanwhile, the injured people said the accident took place due to negligence of the driver, who they said, didn’t reduce speed and slow down music despite their cries.

Bodies were buried at a local graveyard after collective funeral prayers where moving scenes were witnessed.

One Khalid Mehmood told Dawn that nine people belonged to the same family whose head Jahanzeb was unable to speak.