Bhadarwah: Atleast 11 Persons were killed and 15 others were injured, 07 of them critically when a mini bus they were traveling in fell into a very deep gorge in Doda district on Thursday morning.
According to officials, a mini bus bearing registration number JK17-4021 skidded off the road near Suigwari on Batote, Doda, Kishtwar National Highway and rolled down into a 200mtrs deep gorge in Doda district at about 09:45 in the morning on thursday resulting in on the spot death of 08 passengers while others got injured, 07 of them critically.
The officials also said that some of the injured persons succumbed either on way to or in GMC Doda.The reports further said that the mini bus was on its way to Doda from Thathri when it met with an accident. The hospital authorities in GMC Doda confirmed that 08 persons were brought dead to the hospital while 03 others succumbed to the injuries during initial treatment.
However, owing to the deteriorating condition of the injured passengers, 07 of them have been airlifted to GMC Jammu for specialized treatment. ” The death toll is feared to increase as the condition of the seriously injured is very critical,” the hospital authorities added.
Immediately after the accident, people from the adjoining areas along with NGO Ababeel volunteers rushed to the spot and started rescue operation and the passengers injured in the accident were evacuated to GMC and hospital Doda where from seriously injured were airlifted for specialized treatment to GMC Jammu.
Those who were killed in the accident have been identified as 1)Gh.Hussain Shah S/o Maqbool Shah Age 60 years R/o Bharote Mohala. 2) Shabir Ahmed S/o Gh. Hussain Age 30 years R/o Bharote Mohala. 3) Rhitik Sharma S/o Lekh Raj age 19 years R/o Hatheli .4) Jamal Din S/o Lal Din age 23 years R/o Bakhana Mohalla.5) Mohd Latief S/o Mohd Ramzan age 65 years R/o Bohrawa Seri.6) Anari Devi W/o Late Swami Raj age 55 years R/o Sisol Barshalla Thathri.7)Bahdur Singh S/o Hari Singh age 65 years R/o Shirdani Bhella. 8) Santosh Kumar S/o Som nath age 22 years R/o Bhawna Kanthi Mohalla.9) unidentified.10) unidentified 11) unidentified.
The injured are (1) Sanjay S/o Santosh Kumar Age 18 years R/o Panaja. (2) Naveed Akhter S/o Gh. Mustafa Age 45 years R/o Thalela. 3) Rohit Sharma S/o Sugriv Sharma age 21 years R/o Malvana.4) Neetu Devi D/o Lakshman Singh age 17 years R/o Khar.5) Vikram Singh S/o Gulab Chand age 22 R/o Balwana.5) Ashok Kumar S/o Vidya Lal age 22 years R/o Malwana.6) Santosh Kumar S/o Som Nath age 22 R/o Bhawna kanthi Mohalla.7) Arif Hussain S/o Mohd Musa age 21 years R/o Khara.8) Saveeta Devi W/o Ramesh Kumar Age 45 years R/o Dhal Mohalla
Passengers who have been airlifted to Jammu include, 1) Rajesh Kumar S/o Bodhi Singh age 24 years R/o Pumoat.2) Ramesh Kumar S/o Hem Raj age 27 years R/o Budhani Thathri.3)Monika Devi W/o Bansi Lal age 24 years R/o Thathri.4)Santosha Devi W/o Swam Nath age 22 years R/o Kathi Mohalla Prem Nagar.5) Babur S/o Allah Dutta age 25 years R/o Thalaila.6) Pavaiz Ahmed S/o Khurshid Ahmed age 32 years R/o Thathri.7) Punam Devi D/o Balwant Singh age 22 years R/o Prem Nagar.
According to eyewitnesses, the rashly driven bus skidded off the road when the driver having lost control over the wheels while negotiating a turn plunged into deep gorge. Interestingly, the vehicle broke into pieces through samarsaults that it experienced while rolling down the gorge due to which passengers on board were thrown out of the mini bus who could be seen lying scattered amidst rocks.
Pertinently, this is the fifth accident in a row on Batote, Doda, Kishtwar National Highway during the last fortnight and here also the road construction agency is alleged apparently to be responsible as the road stretch in Suigwari sector is I’ll maintained beside having no crash barriers. It is equally mentionable that despite of repeated orders and directives regarding rejection and abandoning of worn out passenger vehicles in J&K, the old and outdated vehicles unworthy of plying are ferrying passengers unattended by the concerned authorities which are the main reasons for accidents and loss of lives. People also allege that adding to this is the overloading menace which puts lives of humans in danger and this issue too is not paid heed to by the concerned agencies.
Surprisingly, according to the recommendations of In House Committee on Rising rate of accidents in J&K especially Chenab Valley region, no step was taken by the govt.to rectify the problem by addressing the issues of erecting crash barriers, rejecting worn out vehicles and managing roads and traffic regulation in reality while the dance of death continues on the roads in this part of land.
