2 dead, 20 injured on J&K roads

JAMMU: Two people were killed and 20 others injured including 13 Amarnath pilgrims in two separate road mishaps in Jammu region.
In the first accident, Tiku Rana (19) from Uttar Pradesh and Abhishek (22) from Punjab were killed when a load carrier skidded off a hilly road and fell into a stream near Chamayra in Reasi, an official said.

He said seven other people were injured in the accident which occurred last night when a group of labourers were returning from a construction site.

While Rana was declared "brought dead" at the Government Medical College Hospital here last night, Abhishek succumbed to injuries this morning, the official said.
Thirteen Amarnath pilgrims were injured when their vehicle rammed into a stationary truck on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway here today, a police official said.

The pilgrims were part of a convoy carrying a fresh batch of 3,419 pilgrims including 680 women and 201 'sadhus' from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here to Kashmir to undertake the annual pilgrimage, the official said.

He said the accident occurred near Dherma bridge in Mallard area of Udhampur district, about 70 kms from here, around 5.30 am when the driver of the tempo lost control and hit the parked truck.

Thirteen pilgrims travelling in the vehicle were injured and admitted to a district hospital in Udhampur, the official said.

He said the condition of three of the injured pilgrims was stated to be serious and they are being taken to the Government Medical College Hospital here.

While 10 of the injured pilgrims are residents of Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, three others are from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, the official said.