17 die as bus plunges into gorge in Kishtwar
Poor condition of road, overloading and loss of control over the vehicle was stated to be the reason of accident in which 16 others were injured
JAMMU: At least 17 people died and 16 others were injured after a 25-seater minibus plunged into a 300-feet deep gorge near the Chenab river in the mountainous Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday morning, police said.
Kishtwar SSP Rajinder Gupta said 13 people had died initially and four others succumbed to injuries later, taking death toll to 17.
He informed that 17 people were injured, out of whom, 11 seriously injured were airlifted to the Jammu Government Medical College and Hospital for specialised medical treatment.
“16 passengers had died in Kishtwar while one among the 11 shifted to Jammu succumbed to his injuries, taking death toll to 17,” he said.
The 25-seater minibus was on its way from Thakrai in Keshwan to Kishtwar, he said. Thakrai is 15km from Kishtwar town in Jammu region.
The mishap occurred around 8.30am when the minibus veered off the road and plunged into the gorge, the SSP said.
Local people were the first responders to the early morning accident before the police officials and the army were rushed to the spot to launch rescue operations.
A transport department official said it appeared that the driver Ashraf Hussain lost control of the steering due to bad condition of the road and as a result the mini bus veered off the road, adding that there was no scope of rash driving on that stretch because of its dilapidated state.
The bus driver Ashraf Hussain also died in the mishap.
GOVERNOR EXPRESSES GRIEF, ANNOUNCES ₹5 LAKH EX-GRATIA RELIEF
Governor Satya Pal Malik expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced ₹5 lakh ex-gratia relief for the next of the kin of deceased and ₹50,000 to each of those injured in the accident. He has announced free medical treatment for the injured in government hospitals.
Kishtwar deputy commissioner Angrez Singh Rana said, “The next of the kin of deceased will be given an ex-gratia relief of ₹5 lakh each, while ₹50,000 will be given each to the injured person.”
OTHER OFFICIALS EXPRESS GRIEF
Former DGP SP Vaid, recently shifted as transport commissioner, expressed his sorrow at the loss of lives.
He tweeted, “Major accident near Thakrai on Kishtwar- Shatroo road of Minibus, 13 reportedly died &13 are injured. Feel pained at loss of precious lives. Cause of accident being ascertained, I wish I can do something to prevent this.”
A defence spokesman said, “On receiving the information of the accident, the Indian Army troops located in vicinity responded immediately and swung into action to the distress call for rescue operations. All the passengers were evacuated from the deep gorge by army troops and with the help of locals.”
“Indian Air Force MI-17 Helicopter was requisitioned for evacuation of critically injured passengers from the accident site. The injured were flown to Jammu for specialised treatment,” he said.
Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti expressed condolences over the loss of lives.
She wrote on Twitter, Heartfelt condolences with the families who lost their loved ones in a road accident in Kishtwar today. Would like to Impress upon the Divisional administration to launch rescue ops on war footing to evacuate the injured and provide them specialised treatment.”
Former governor NN Vohra had repeatedly asked successive regimes in the state to check frequent road accidents in the hilly state, especially Doda region.
This is the third major accident in Kishtwar district in the last one month.
While 13 Machail Yatra devotees were killed when their cab plunged into a gorge on August 21, seven persons were killed and 12 others injured when two vehicles were hit by boulders a day earlier.