Himalaya Harbinger, Uttarakhand Bureau
At least 20 people were killed and 36 were injured after a passenger bus rolled down into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district on Monday.
The accident took place near Kanote village when the bus, travelling from Ramnagar to Udhampur, lost control and plunged into a gorge. Rescue operations were launched immediately by local authorities.
The bus was taking a sharp curve on a hilly road when the driver lost control, causing the vehicle to roll down a steep, rocky slope of around 100 feet before landing on a lower road.
DIG Udhampur-Reasi range Shiv Kumar Sharma said the driver lost control while taking a sharp curve, and the bus subsequently hit an auto-rickshaw on a lower road, injuring those inside.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh said he had spoken to Udhampur Deputy Commissioner Minga Sherpa soon after the incident.
Just now spoke to DC Udhampur, Minga Sherpa, after learning about a tragic road accident, less than an hour ago, at village Kanote, involving a public transport bus on its way from Ramnagar to Udhampur. The rescue operation has been immediately undertaken. Heavy casualties are expected. All possible assistance is being provided. The injured will be shifted for medical aid. Arrangements being made to airlift the seriously injured. I am in constant touch with the local administration as well as our local workers team led by Rajinder Sharma,” he said in a post on X.
J&K LG Manoj Sinha said, “Tragic road accident in Udhampur is heartbreaking. My deepest condolences to bereaved families. May God grant them strength. Praying for speedy recovery of injured. I have directed district admin, Police, SDRF & Health Dept to provide every possible assistance to those affected.”
Injured are being brought to GMC Udhampur, while efforts are underway to retrieve the bodies of those killed in the accident, Dr Sanjeev Gupta, medical superintendent of Government Medical College (GMC) and Associated Hospitals, Udhampur, said.
