JAMMU: At least eight persons were killed and five got injured in separate road accidents in Doda, Kishtwar and Rajouri districts of Jammu region on Friday.
“A passenger vehicle on way from Doda to Thalela Chiralla road this morning met with an accident near Puneja in Thathri area of Doda district,” police said.
They said that four people died on the spot and five got injured. The vehicle, carrying 15 people, was on its way to Chirala from Pul Doda when it fell into over 100-feet deep gorge as the driver lost its control, police said.
“Locals along with police personnel immediately reached the spot and rescued trapped passengers from the damaged vehicle and shifted them to District Hospital Doda, where doctors declared four of them, including the driver, brought dead,” he added.
“Later, two more people succumbed to their injuries at the hospital, taking the toll to six,” said the officer.
The deceased were identified as Yusuf, son of Wali Khan, resident of Sunarthawa, Chiralla; Om Parkash, son of Vidya Lal, resident of Bankan Chiralla (driver); Fazal Din, son of Roshan Din, resident of Randani and Punjab Singh, son of Khazan Chand, resident of Balgran, Banjwah. The injured have been identified as Pardeep Singh, son of Balwant Singh Resident of Kothi, Puneja, Vishwa Nath, son of Chuni Lal Resident of Puneja, Amrik Singh son of Thakur Lal Resident of Puneja,Vansh Sharma, son of Suresh Sharma, Kritika Sharma, daughter of Suresh Sharma and Archana Sharma, wife of Suresh Sharma resident of Badoot, Daleep Singh, son of Ishar Lal Resident of Puneja, Gulab Singh, son of Hakim Singh resident of Shiva Shererana and Bipan Khajuria, son of Krishan Kumar, resident of Jagota.
Later, three seriously injured persons Pardeep Singh, Vansh Sharma and Kritika Sharma were shifted to GMC Jammu for further treatment.
In another accident, one person was killed as jeep rolled down on the road in Kishtwar district.
“A jeep JK17-2125, on way from Padder to Kishtwar, this morning met with an accident and rolled down on the road when the driver lost its control on the vehicle near Bonjwar in Dool,” police said.
They said that the driver, identified as Akther Hussain,27, son of Bashir Ahmed, resident of Link Road, Kishtwar died on the spot.
A case has been registered and investigation started, police added.
Meanwhile, in yet another separate accident, a car met with an accident last night in Sunderbani Chowk of Rajouri district.
“A woman died in the mishap while two others got injured,” police said.
The deceased was identified as Manju Devi,40 and the injured were Koushal Kumar,50, and Yogesh Kumar,19, all residents of Laman, Sunderbani, district Rajouri.
Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, who is in the national capital, has expressed shock and grief over the death of six passengers in a road accident at Doda.
On hearing of the accident, the Chief Minister directed immediate evacuation of the injured for specialised treatment at Jammu hospitals.
Expressing concern over the rising road accidents and loss of lives, Mehbooba Mufti has directed the concerned Departments to undertake reviews and field exercises to minimise this trend and save precious lives.