President, PM, LG express grief, announces ex-gratia
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: At least 22 pilgrims were killed and 57 injured after a bus carrying pilgrims skidded off the road and rolled down into a gorge in Chowki Chora near Kalidhar on Jammu-Rajouri highway on Thursday, officials said.
The accident took place at the Tungi-Morh in the Chowki Chora, the officials said, adding that the bus plying from Kurukshetra to Shiv Khori with devotees rolled around 150 feet down into the gorge.
A magisterial probe has been ordered into the incident, the Jammu district magistrate informed on X. He also said 22 pilgrims have lost their lives and 57 sustained injuries in the tragedy.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has expressed his deep anguish on the loss of lives in the tragic bus accident in Akhnoor, Jammu.
In a condolence message, the Lt Governor has said, “The Bus accident in Akhnoor is heart-rending. I condole the loss of lives and pray to the almighty to give the bereaved families the strength to bear the irreparable loss. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured.
The administration is providing all possible assistance to the bereaved families and is also extending medical facilities to those who have been injured”.
The Lieutenant Governor has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 5 Lakh to be given to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs.50,000 for those injured in the tragic bus accident.
A police spokesperson said at about 12:35 pm, the bus bearing registration number UP81CT-4058 fell into the gorge.
DM Jammu orders magisterial inquiry into mishap
JAMMU: A bus accident occurred near Kalidhar on Thursday, involving a bus carrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh heading towards Shiv Khori.
District Magistrate Sachin Kumar Vaishya said that 22 persons have died in this mishap.
Presently, 57 injured are under treatment at GMC Jammu and at SDH Akhnoor. Furthermore, the District Magistrate has initiated a magisterial inquiry to investigate the cause of the accident. ADM Jammu shall submit a report within 7 days in this regard. The district administration is closely monitoring the treatment of the injured and is in communication with the authorities of Hathras and Aligarh, the native places of the passengers.
The bus was carrying devotees from Haryana’s Kurukshetra and was headed towards Shiv Khori in the Pouni area of Reasi district. It had started its journey from Uttar Pradesh.
The bodies have been shifted to the Akhnoor Sub-District Hospital, the police spokesperson said, adding that the injured have been taken to the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Jammu.
One of the deceased women has been identified as Dharampati (42), the wife of Radhey Shyam from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, the officials said, adding that most of the victims are from Uttar Pradesh.
The Army, police and locals used ropes and made human chains to carry the bodies and the injured people uphill.
The Army used cranes to pull the bus out of the gorge and the operation is still on, the officials said.
The injured, including six in a critical condition, were initially taken to the Akhnoor hospital for treatment. Subsequently, they were shifted to the GMC hospital in Jammu in ambulances, the officials said.
“More than 36 passengers have been brought to the GMC hospital. Six of them are in a critical condition. Timely treatment is being given to the patients,” Principal of the hospital Dr Ashutosh Gupta said.
The injured passengers said the accident took place when the driver was negotiating a blind curve and a speeding car was coming from the opposite direction.
“A car was coming from the opposite direction. The driver tried to negotiate a blind curve but failed, resulting in the vehicle rolling down the gorge,” Amar Chand, one of the injured people undergoing treatment at the hospital, said.
Those who sustained injuries in the incident said they had come for a pilgrimage to Shiv Khori.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Faisal Qureshi, the transport commissioner, along with other officials, visited the spot and supervised the operation.
The SSP said it seems there was no overloading of passengers in the bus.
Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar, SSP-Jammu and the deputy commissioner of Jammu visited the GMC hospital to inquire about the injured.
“Pained beyond words to learn about the loss of lives in a bus accident in Akhnoor near Jammu. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I wish speedy recovery of the injured”, President Droupadi Murmu tweets.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over loss of life in tragic accident. “Anguished by the loss of lives due to a bus mishap in Akhnoor. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover soon. Rs. 2 lakh would be given to the next of kin of each deceased due to the bus mishap. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000”, tweets PM Modi.
The LG has expressed anguish at the loss of lives in the accident.
This is the biggest accident in the region since a similar incident was reported from Doda on November 15, 2023, in which 39 people were killed and 19 injured when a bus carrying passengers skidded off the road and rolled down into a 300-foot gorge in the Trungal-Assar area of the district.
On March 29, 10 people were killed after a sports utility vehicle (SUV) skidded off the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and fell into a gorge in the Battery Cheshma area of Ramban district.
On July 1, 2019, 35 people were killed and 17 injured when an overloaded mini-bus veered off the road and fell into a gorge in Kishtwar’s Sangwari area.
On September 14, 2018, 17 passengers were killed and 16 injured when a mini-bus skidded off the road and plunged into a gorge in the Dandaran area of Kishtwar.
Jammu authority sets up 24-hour helpline for updates on bus tragedy victims
Jammu administration Thursday night announced it has set up a 24-hour helpline to provide information and assistance to the relatives of the victims of the bus tragedy that took place earlier in the day at Tungi Morh.
“In response to the tragic bus accident that occurred near Tanda (Akhnoor) this afternoon, affecting passengers from Kurukshetra, Haryana, a 24-hour helpline has been established to provide information and assistance to the relatives of the victims,” an official spokesperson of the administration said.
The Police Control Room in Jammu has set up dedicated phone numbers to offer support and updates regarding the condition and whereabouts of the injured passengers with helpline numbers as 0191-2542000 and 88-9933-4482, the spokesperson said.
LIST OF DECEASED
- Dharampati W/O Radhay Sham R/o Aligarh, UP.
- Anamika D/O Lakshman Parshad R/O Naya Aligarh UP
- Naina D/O Lakshman Parshad R/O Naya Aligarh UP
- Rudra S/O Lakshman Parshad R/O Naya Aligarh UP
- Ranbir Singh R/O Hathras, UP
- Lakshman Parshad R/O Naya Aligarh, UP
- Vicky R/O Aligarh UP
- Seema W/O Samarjit R/O Naya Aligarh, UP
- Randua R/O Hathras, UP
- Sonu D/O Subash R/O Naya, Aligarh
- Samarjit R/O Naya Aligarh, UP
- Prachi D/O Jitan R/O Hathras, UP
- Tanuj S/O Sanjay R/O Naya Aligarh, UP
- Suresh R/O Naya Aligarh UP
- Sanjay S/O Sunder Singh R/O Naya Aligarh, UP
- Renu W/O Yogveer Singh R/O Hathras, UP
- One child from Dhanipur
- Five unidentified bodies including of 2 minor girls
LIST OF INJURED IN BUS ACCIDENT
1. Krishna age 13 yrs S/O Jai Veer R/O Aligarh, UP
2. Jai veer age 50 yrs S/O Gure Singh R/O Aligarh, UP
3. Amravati age 45 yrs W/O Unknown R/O Aligarh, UP
4. Satyaveer Singh age 45 yrs S/O Jhangi Singh R/O UP
5. Goutam Singh age 55 yrs S/O Sundar Singh R/O UP
6. Sunita age 35 yrs W/O Bobby R/O UP
7. Radha age 60 yrs W/O Sardar R/O UP
8. Anju age 18 yrs D/O Saspal R/O UP
9. Subash Chander age 34 yrs S/O Lal Singh R/O Mathura, UP
10. Anju age 34 yrs W/O Jai Veer R/O Bharatpur, Rajasthan
11. Shanti age 65 yrs W/O Mahinder R/O Aligarh, UP
12. Kajal age 16 yrs D/O Satyender R/O Naya, UP
13. Sanjay Kumar age 40 yrs S/O Suresh Singh R/O Aligarh, UP
14. Prashant Choudhary age 21 yrs S/O Neeraj Kumar R/O Mathura, UP
15. Urvesh age 40 yrs W/O Satya R/O UP
16. Unknown female age about 30 yrs
17. Unknown male age 60 yrs
18. Puniya age 70 yrs W/O unknown R/O UP
19. Yash age 08 yrs S/O & R/O not known
20. Yogveer age 30 yrs S/O not known R/O UP
21. Rakesh age 25 yrs S/O Rajinder Singh R/O U.P
22. Geeta age 30 yrs W/O Jai veer R/O Aligarh
23. Yash age 11 yrs S/O & R/O not known
24. Jatin age 17 yrs S/O Shamsher R/O Narella Haryana
25. Geeta age 35 yrs W/O Chander Mohan R/O U.P
26. Raghuveer age 70 yrs S/O Hardam Singh R/O Mathura, UP
27. Sangeeta age 27 yrs W/O Arvinder R/O UP
28. Sanjay age 38 yrs S/O Gure Singh R/O Aligarh UP
29. Munni Devi age 57 yrs W/O Umar Pal R/O UP
30. Sharda Devi age 65 yrs W/O Shamvir Singh R/O Aligarh UP
31. Mannu age 06 yrs S/O Arvinder R/O UP
32. Jatin age 12 yrs S/O Ajeet R/O UP
33. Munni age 50 yrs W/O Amar Singh R/O Rajasthan
34. Rinku age 25 yrs S/O Mahinder Pal R/O Aligarh, UP
35. Devo age 58 yrs W/O Sultan Singh R/O Aligarh, UP
36. Radha age 28 yrs W/O Pawan R/O Aligarh, UP
37. Neelma age 32 yrs W/O Har veer R/O Bharatpur, Rajasthan
38. Gopal age 18 yrs S/O Bhagwan Singh R/O UP
39. Yashoda age 48 yrs W/O Dharamvir R/O Bharatpur, Rajasthan
40. Bhagwan Singh age 48 yrs S/O Rajinder Singh R/O UP
41. Rajinder Singh age 52 yrs S/O Shiv Ram Singh R/O UP
42. Ranveer Singh age 70 yrs S/O Babu Lal R/O Mathura UP
43. Arjun age 18 yrs S/O Radhey Shyam Singh R/O UP
44. Rajwanti age 50 yrs W/O Satvir Singh R/O UP
45. Anita age 48 yrs W/O Shivender Singh R/O UP
46. Urmila age 45 yrs W/O Sham Vir Singh R/O UP
47. Rakesh age 47 yrs S/O Than Singh R/O UP
48. Pranav age 10 yrs S/O Bhupinder Singh R/O UP
49. Neelam age 30 yrs W/O Bhupinder Singh R/O UP
50. Munni Devi age 50 yrs W/O unknown R/O unknown
51. Geeta age 35 yrs W/O Shashi Pal R/O UP
52. Shashi Pal age 38 yrs S/O Rajinder Singh R/O UP
53. Suman age 25 yrs W/O Pritam R/O UP
54. Gourav age 09 yrs S/O Pritam R/O UP
55. Kamlesh age 45 yrs W/O Omi Singh R/O UP
56. Koushal Kumar age 25 yrs S/O Sukhvir Singh R/O UP
57. Kamlesh age 48 yrs W/O Chander Prakash R/O UP
All admitted in GMC Jammu.
58. Kumar Paul age 60 yrs S/O Parub Singh R/O Ltathare, UP
59. Bal Krishan age 51 yrs S/O Raghunath Parshad R/O Aligarh, UP.
60. Bila Devi age 50 yrs W/O Gotam R/O Aligarh, UP
61. Suman Devi age 60 yrs W/O Gumana Parshad R/O Naya Ganga Gari, UP
62. Thankasha age 08 yrs D/O Pawan R/O Niya Aligarh, UP
63. Luxraj age 04 yrs S/O Pawan Kumar R/O Niya Aligarh, UP
64. Radhika age 28 yrs W/O Pawan Kumar R/O Niya Aligarh, UP
Admitted in SDH Akhnoor.
