Five children among 11 killed as SUV falls into gorge
What's the story
11 people, including four women and five children, were killed and four others injured when an SUV skidded off a road and fell into a deep gorge in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir today, police said. The SUV, carrying 15 passengers from Chaderkote to Rajgarh, rolled down into the over 500-feet-deep gorge when its driver lost control at Kunda nallah near Baglihar powerhouse.
Details
Six persons found dead on-the-spot, five others succumbed to injuries
The incident happened around 10.30am. An official said the locals along with police immediately launched a rescue operation and pulled out the bodies and injured persons from the scene. While six persons were found dead on the spot, five others succumbed to their injuries on their way to the hospital, the official said. Three more critically injured persons are being airlifted for better treatment.
Injured
Three critically injured persons, including driver, being airlifted to Jammu
The critically injured persons, including the driver of the vehicle, are being airlifted to Jammu for specialized treatment, said the official. Rajgarh is a far-flung tehsil in Ramban district and is connected with the Jammu-Srinagar national highway through a link road, which is reportedly damaged at various places. The official also said that the driver violated the directive on SUV seating capacity.
Violation
Allowed capacity for SUV operating in hilly roads is seven
The allowed capacity for SUV operating in the hilly roads is only seven passengers and the driver has violated the directive by allowing 15 people in the vehicle, the official said. He identified some of the deceased as Romal Din (61), Mohammad Mubeen (23), Rubeena Begum (30), Urmilla Devi (32), Babli Devi (37), 13-year-old Imano Bano, nine-year-old Arjun, two-year-old Pari, and a three-month-old baby.
Deaths
Other road accidents: Cyclist crushed to death by unidentified vehicle
Another child, who was being airlifted to Government Medical College hospital Jammu, succumbed at the helipad, the official said, adding the identities of the child and a woman are being ascertained. Separately, a cyclist was crushed to death by an unidentified vehicle in Poonch district, while nine passengers were injured in a collision between two buses along Jammu-Pathankot highway in Samba-district today.
Accident
Bus, mini-bus collide along Jammu-Pathankot highway, injure nine
The cyclist, Prakash (48), a daily wager in Municipal Committee Poonch, was hit by an unidentified vehicle near Jhalas when he was on way to work this morning, resulting in his on the spot death, officials said. Another accident happened when a bus and a mini-bus collided near Thandi Khui in Vijaypur along Jammu-Pathankot highway at around 9.30am, resulting in injuries to nine passengers.
Information
Three received critical injuries, shifted to Government Medical College Jammu
The injured passengers of the bus were rushed to the Government Hospital in Vijaypur, said the officials. They further said that among the nine injured, three have received critical injuries and they have been shifted to Government Medical College Jammu for specialized treatment.