2 men from Punjab killed as SUV falls into gorge in J-K’s Kathua

Two people lost their lives and three others sustained critical injuries when the SUV they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir early on Sunday, police said.

All five passengers were members of a community kitchen service for the Amarnath Yatra from Punjab.

They were en route to the campsite at Chanderkote along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway when the accident occurred near Kainta Morh on the Kathua-Basohli road around 12.40 am, officials said.

Following the vehicle’s plunge into the deep gorge, local volunteers promptly initiated a rescue operation. All five individuals were taken to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kathua.

Mohinder Paul (60) and Pawan Madhan (50) were declared brought dead at the hospital. The three injured – Anil Monga, Sunny Arora and Sudhir – were admitted to hospital, officials said.