11 killed, 4 injured as SUV falls into gorge in J&K’S Ramban

JAMMU: Eleven people, including four women and five children, were killed and four others injured when the SUV they were travelling in skidded off a road and fell into a deep gorge in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, police said.

The SUV, carrying 15 passengers from Chaderkote to Rajgarh, rolled down into the over 500-feet-deep gorge when the driver lost control at Kunda nallah near Baglihar power house at 10.30 am, an official said.

He said the locals along with the police immediately launched a rescue operation and pulled out the bodies and injured persons from the scene.

While six persons were found dead on-the-spot, five others succumbed on way to hospital, the official said, adding that three more critically injured persons, including driver of the vehicle, are being airlifted to Jammu for specialised treatment.

Rajgarh is a far flung tehsil in Ramban district and is connected with the Jammu-srinagar national highway through a link road which is reportedly damaged at various places.

The allowed capacity for SUV operating in the hilly roads is only seven passengers and the driver of the vehicle has violated the directive, the official said.

THE SUV WAS CARRYING 15 PEOPLE, MUCH HIGHER THAN THE PERMITTED CAPACITY OF SEVEN PASSENGERS

FOR SUVS OPERATING ON HILLY ROADS