13 minor students among 14 injured as Eco Van falls into gorge in Poonch

People rue inaction against overloading in vehicles

Poonch : Fourteen people including six girl and seven male students were injured when an “overloaded” eco-vehicle skidded off the road and rolled down into a gorge in this mountainous district on Sunday, officials said.

They said the accident took place near Keri Kangra in Mendhar Poonch when the driver of the Eco Van (JK12C-O613) lost control over it and the vehicle rolled down many feet into a gorge, leading to the injuries to 14 people— six of them females and eight males.
The injured, 13 of them being minors and one major, were immediately rushed to the local hospital by the rescuers including local volunteers and police. BMO Mendhar Dr P A Khan confirmed to that 14 injured people were received at the Sub District Hospital. He said two of them have been shifted to GMC Rajouri for advanced treatment.

The injured have been identified as Mishba Kousar (16), Fahim Kouser (15), Zahira (20), Qasid Rashid (15), Adid Hussain (16), Danish Shah (17), Rukhsana (15), Muskan Basharat (14) Uzma Kouser (16), Mujtab Shah (20), Hassan Ali Shah (16), Asees Ahmad (16), Mohammad Layaqat and Mohammad Zamran (25), all residents of Rya.
A police official told that a case has been registered and further investigations taken up.

Meanwhile locals accused traffic police of having failed to check overcrowding in the vehicles, leading to the accidents in the area. They urged higher ups to look into matter and ensure that there is no overcrowding in the vehicles in order to avoid mishaps.