3 dead, 16 injured as minibus falls into gorge in Rajouri district

Jammu, November 6

Three persons were killed while 16 others were injured when a minibus met with an accident in Rajouri district on Monday. The incident occurred when the driver was not able to negotiate a sharp curve while driving at a high speed and the mini bus fell into a deep gorge of nearly 250 feet.

After the accident, local residentss immediately reached the accident spot to rescue the survivors. The police were also informed, which reached the site and brought some of the injured in police vehicles to the Government Medical College, Rajouri. Some private vehicles also carried the accident victims to the hospital. The deceased have been identified as Abdul Rashid (34), Mohd Shabir (40) and Mohd Azam (32).

DC assures victims of assistance

• DC Vikas Kundal met the injured undergoing treatment at the GMC and assured them of appropriate compensation.
• He directed medical officers to ensure comprehensive treatment. He also assured the families of necessary assistance.

The incident occurred at around 11 am at Kainchi Morh when the vehicle was on its way to Rajouri from Kotranka. It took over one and a half hour to bring the injured to the hospital as the vehicle was lying in a gorge and the access to it was steep.

Dr Mehmood Hussain, Medical Superintendent of the Rajouri GMC, informed that 16 people who were injured in the accident, were admitted to the hospital. Five of them are in a critical condition.

Apni Party vice president and former Cabinet minister Choudhary Zulfkar Ali expressed grief over the road accident. He demanded compensation to the next of the kin of the three deceased and free medical treatment to the injured persons.

He also said that the critically injured should be referred to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, for advanced treatment.