Death dance continues on Kishtwar roads, 17 dead

2 critical among 16 injured; PM, Guv condole; Rs 5L ex-gratia relief for NoK of deceased

SCARY STATISTICS

On an average, 1500 accidents take place in Jammu region every year with nearly 2000 deaths and over 5000 injuries. Most of these incidents take place on the roads of erstwhile Doda district including Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah areas.

Since year 2004, vehicles have killed 46% more people in Jammu and Kashmir than over all people killed in militancy-related activities including civilians, security forces and militants, an India Spend analysis of state police and Union Home Ministry revealed.

Mountainous state of J&K topped the list of “high accidental death-prone areas” in a National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) survey conducted in 2013, which found that an accident in J&K state has a 64% chance of causing death as opposed to 36.4% for all of India.



JAMMU: Three women among 17 passengers were killed and 16 more injured when a mini bus skidded off the road and plunged into a 250 feet deep gorge in Kishtwar district on Friday, the third major accident in the area in less than four weeks.

While fifteen people died on the spot, one of them succumbed at District Hospital Kishtwar, whereas one among the 11 persons airlifted to Jammu, breathed his last at GMC&H Jammu. Condition of two injured is said to be critical.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Governor Satya Pal Malik expressed their deepest grief on the tragedy, even as the state government announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to those injured in the accident from Governor's Relief fund.

“The accident occurred during morning hours near Dharbadan Thakraie road at Tahgatan area when a matador bearing Registration number JK17-0663, boarding 33 passengers on its way from Keshwan to Kishtwar turned turtle and fell into 250 feet deep gorge, near the Chenab riverbed,” District Development Commissioner Angrez Singh Rana informed The News Now.

He said the dead included three women Misra Begum, Shaheena Begum, Majeeda Begum, and Umar, Kasim, Ashraf Hussain, Nasir, Jabbar, Vikram, Nazir Ahmed, Mohammad Yousuf, Akhter Hussain Bhat, Tariq Hussain, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din, Girdhari Lal and Nazir Ahmed Sheikh.

Ashraf Hussain, the driver of the ill-fated vehicle, interestingly, was fined by the traffic police for overloading on Thursday, officials said.

Rana said most of the victims died on the spot. One of the 11 critically injured persons, airlifted to Jammu for specialised treatment, was declared brought dead by doctors at the Government Medical College & Hospital, Jammu.

“Among the other 10 injured being treated at GMC&H, condition of two is very critical,” Advisor to Governor, B B Vyas, who visited the injured, informed media-persons, outside hospital.

Six of the injured were undergoing treatment at District Hospital Kishtwar and their condition was stated to be "stable".

Jammu-based Army spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand said the Indian Air Force had pressed a MI-V5 chopper into service and airlifted eight critically injured victims from Kishtwar to Jammu.

Three other injured were evacuated by a Pawan Hans chopper, Rana said.

Rana, who led the operation along with Senior Superintendent of Police Rajinder Gupta, lauded the Army, police and locals for their swift action in initiating the rescue operation.

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.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of 17 people in the accident and wished speedy recovery of the injured.

"The accident in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir is tragic. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest," the prime minister tweeted.

Governor Satya Pal Malik also expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased.

In his message, the governor has prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families, an official spokesman said.

He said Malik wished speedy recovery to those injured in the accident.

The governor announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to those injured in the accident, the spokesman said.

He said Malik has directed for providing free medical treatment to the injured in government hospitals.