Jammu,: Four persons, including a woman and a minor girl, were killed and 17 others injured in two separate road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur and Samba districts on Wednesday, officials said.
In the first incident, two persons, including a four-year-old girl, lost their lives and 17 others sustained injuries after a passenger bus skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge at Gulli Gala in the Latti-Basantgarh area of Udhampur district on Wednesday morning.
The accident occurred around 8 am when the bus was travelling from Pachound towards Ramnagar along the Basantgarh-Ramnagar route. The vehicle reportedly skidded off the mountainous road and fell into a gorge, leaving it badly mangled.
Soon after the accident, local villagers rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations. Police and district administration teams subsequently joined the efforts, evacuating the injured passengers from the wreckage.
The victims were initially taken for medical assistance at Basantgarh before being shifted to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Ramnagar, where two passengers were declared dead.
The deceased were identified as Takshika (4), daughter of Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Chatrari, and Sunita Devi (24), wife of Kuldeep Kumar, a resident of Pachound.
Of the 17 injured passengers, 11 were referred to Government Medical College (GMC) Udhampur for advanced treatment, while six remained admitted at SDH Ramnagar.
Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Ananth Dwivedi said an inquiry had been initiated to ascertain the circumstances leading to the accident.
He said the role of departments responsible for transport, traffic regulation and road maintenance would also be examined as part of the investigation.
The Deputy Commissioner said all concerned departments had been called upon to assist in the inquiry, and its findings would help identify necessary measures to prevent similar accidents in the future.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the loss of lives and directed the district administration to extend all necessary assistance to the affected families.
“Distressed to learn about the loss of lives due to a tragic bus accident in Ramnagar, Udhampur. My condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Sinha said.
He also directed officials to ensure the best possible medical treatment for those injured in the accident.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed condolences to the bereaved families and instructed the authorities to provide proper medical care and assistance to the injured passengers.
The Chief Minister’s Office said it was in constant touch with the concerned authorities and closely monitoring the situation.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh spoke to Deputy Commissioner Ananth Dwivedi after receiving information about the accident and reviewed the rescue and medical assistance arrangements.
Singh appreciated the prompt intervention of local villagers who helped evacuate passengers from the damaged bus before the arrival of rescue teams.
He said his office remained in constant touch with the district administration to ensure all necessary assistance to the victims.
The Union Minister also said he had taken up the issue of construction of the Ramnagar-Basantgarh road with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) authorities in Delhi.
Senior BJP leader and MLA Sunil Bhardwaj visited the hospital to enquire about the condition of the injured passengers.
Expressing concern over the condition of the road where the accident occurred, Bhardwaj stressed the need for its upgradation to ensure safer travel for commuters.
He also called for strengthening healthcare facilities in the constituency, particularly to ensure timely medical assistance during emergencies in remote areas.
Police said they had taken cognisance of the accident and initiated legal proceedings.
Meanwhile, in a separate accident in Samba district on Wednesday evening, two young men were killed after their motorcycle collided with a barricade on a flyover near Tarore village along the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway.
Officials said the accident occurred around 8 pm when the motorcycle was travelling from Bari Brahmana towards Samba.
The deceased were identified as Sahil Kumar and Anshu Kumar, both residents of Swankha Morh in Vijaypur.
Police said the bodies were shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Vijaypur, for postmortem examination and completion of other legal formalities.
