Jammu: A 16-year-old girl was among eight people killed while three others were injured when a taxi cab—Tata sumo— they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge in Kishtwar district on Tuesday, officials said.
They said that the accident took place near Bunda Chatroo Changa when driver of the vehicle (JK03B-9117), a private taxi, lost control over it. Five people died on the spot while three others succumbed while being evacuated, they said. Three others were shifted to hospital by rescuers including locals, police and army, they said.
A senior police officer confirmed the casualties to GNS and identified the dead as Noor Hussain (35), Mohammad Akhbar (28), Mohammad Shareef (25), Fareed Hussain (driver, 27), Nazir Ahmad (27), Bashir Ahmad (35), Fareed Hussain (25) and Nusrat Khatoon (16), all residents of Bunda. “All of them had head injury,” the officer said. The injured have been hospitalized, he said. They have been identified as Manzoor Ahmad (25), Khatoon wife (25) wife of Fareed Ahmadand Akhtar Hussain (30).
The officer said that a case has been registered with regard to it.
Lieutenant Governor Mano Sinha said that he was “extremely pained” at the loss of lives in the accident.
“Extremely pained by the loss of lives due to a tragic road accident in Kishtwar. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the speedy recovery of injured,” Sinha said in a tweet. “Directed district administration to ensure best possible treatment to the injured,” he added.
Expressing grief over the accident, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah said, “I am deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the fatal road accident. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families.”
His son Omar Abdullah, and party’s Provincial President Ratan Lal Gupta, senior leaders Sajad Kichloo, Khalid Najeeb Suharwardhy, Aijaz Jan, Sheikh Bashir also expressed shock and grief over the tragic road accident, according to a statement issued here to Global News Service.
PDP Chief and former Chief Minister of erstwhile J&K, Mehbooba Mufti said that she was deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the tragic road accident. “My thoughts & prayers are with the families who lost their loved ones & prayers for the speedy recovery of those injured,” She said in a tweet. (GNS)