Safety hurt, rally driver meets dead end
SRINAGAR: Tragedy struck the J&K Bank Mughal Rally when a Gypsy rolled down the mountainside in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir late on Sunday evening.
The driver, Jatinder Shukla, died on the spot, while the navigator, Ashish Mahajan, is in coma at a hospital here. The mishap occurred just short of Sinthan Pass (3,748 metres) in Kokernag area, 128 km from Srinagar.
Ironically, the Enduro category the duo was taking part in is considered far safer than the hard- core Xtreme version. While the latter demands high speeds and specialised vehicles, the Enduro version is open to amateur drivers. However, the 641 km-long road journey from
GYPSY SKIDS OFF ROAD DURING MUGHAL RALLY IN KASHMIR; NAVIGATOR BATTLING FOR LIFE IN SRINAGAR HOSPITAL
Jammu to Srinagar via Sinthan, which stretched close to 20 hours, proved to be a crucial factor. "It seems the long drive took its toll. Fatigue appears to be the main factor for this incident," said Hari Singh, the National Motorsports Federation's safety delegate for the event. "We'll look to see if rules have to be framed to prevent such an occurrence in the future," he added.
Vicky Chandhok, federation president, said, "We have to examine all factors that caused this driver error. We could consider reducing driving hours to decrease fatigue. At the same time, the risk factor is what makes this event attractive and we would not like to change the rally's character."
Manjeev Bhalla of the Himalayan Motorsports Association, organisers of the event, clarified that while it was a long day, adequate time for recovery was also very much part of the plan. "Of the 641 km, about 280 did not demand competitive driving. We will certainly consider all aspects for the future. In hindsight, things could have been different."
No competitive driving at dusk or at night would be a good start. Meanwhile, event spokesman Rajni Shaleen Chopra said Ashish Mahajan was in the intensive care unit at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences here.
A total of 26 teams in the Enduro category completed the rally safely. The mishap led to cancellation of the ceremonial flag-in and the prize distribution ceremony here.
In the Xtreme 4x4 fourwheelers, Amit Rajit Ghosh (driver) and Soham Hazra (navigator) came first, followed by Gaurev Prabhakar and Ravi Prabhakar, and Lohitt Urs and Chupong Chaiwan. In the Xtreme Bikers category, Mohit Verma came first, Yogesh Lakhani was second, and Umang Saxena third.
The 3rd J&K Bank Mughal Rally was flagged off here on June 30. The rally, organised by the Jammu and Kashmir government in association with the premier Shimla club Himalayan Motorsport, takes the route the Mughal rulers of India traversed to travel through Kashmir and beyond to Lahore.