Eight killed, three injured in Rajouri, Doda accidents

JAMMU: Seven persons were killed after a passenger vehicle fell into a gorge in Rajouri district on Sunday, even as another teenager died a tragic dead when his motorcycle rikked down a deep gorge in Doda district.

Three persons critically injured in these accidents are battling for their life in separate hospitals.
Seven persons were killed and two others were injured critically when a passenger vehicle they were travelling in plunged in a 600-feet deep gorge at Kewal Morh village in Rajouri.

A tempo traveller bearing registration number JK02-AU-8910 was on its way to Reasi Chassana from Rajouri.

“Around 4:15 pm, when the ill-fated vehicle reached Kewal Morh village on the Budhal-Rajouri road, the driver lost control of the vehicle.

“The vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a 600-feet deep gorge,” SSP Rajouri, Yugal Manhas said, adding nine occupants were injured in the accident.

He said a rescue operation was immediately launched by a large number of locals and police team headed by SHO Budhal Sanjay Raina.

“Two passengers had died on the spot in this mishap. With the help of locals, police removed seven injured occupants from the debris and shifted them to Sub District Hospital Kandi where three of them including the driver of the vehicle were declared brought dead on arrival, taking the toll to five," he said.

Later in the evening, two more injured succumbed to their injuries, thus taking the death toll in the tragic accident to seven, even as two injured are undergoing treatment in Rajouri hospital.

The deceased have been identified as Kulwant Singh son of Sukhdev Singh resident of Kangota Budhal, Mohammad Taj son of Mohammad Hussain resident of Topa Mendhar, Abdul Rashid son of Mohammad Iqbal resident of Darhal, Sunit Singh son of Chitar Singh resident of Tuli Reasi, his wife Kailash Devi resident of Tuli Reasi, Mohammad Manzoor son of Mohammad Din resident of Rajnagar Budhal, and Mohammad Farooq son of Mohammad Rashid resident of Tuli Reasi.

Two injured under treatment in Rajouri hospital have been identified as Mohammad Azam and Mohammad Shakeel.

“A case under relevant sections has been registered and investigation was taken up,” the police said.
In another accident, a teenage boy was killed and another critically injured when their motorcycle fell into a deep gorge in Doda district.

They were returning home from a picnic to Guldanda late on Saturday when the accident occurred, Superintendent of Police (SP) Raj Singh Gouria told.

The deceased identified as Waseem Ahmad son of Nisar Ahmed, a resident of Parnala, Bhadarwah and his injured friend Sohail Ganai, son of Barkat Ganai, a resident of Dhareja village in Bhadarwah were students of higher secondary school Bhadarwah and both were 18 years old, the SP said.

Ahmad lost control of the motorcycle while negotiating a blind curve near Thantera-Basti along Bhadarwah-Basholi highway and it fell into 100-feet deep gorge around 9.30 PM, Gouria said.
Despite darkness, the locals launched a rescue operation and managed to take the duo to Sub-district hospital Bhaderwah where Ahmad succumbed to injuries while Ganai was referred to Government Medical College hospital Jammu, he said.

Both the teenagers were not wearing helmets and rash driving is suspected to be the cause of the accident, the officer added.