19 killed, 15 hurt as minibus falls into gorge in Ramban

19 killed, 15 hurt as minibus falls into gorge in RambanArchit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 13
At least 19 persons were killed and 15 others injured when an overloaded minibus skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge at Digdol in Ramban district this afternoon.
The minibus (JK-14-B-0180) was going from Ramban to Banihal when it fell into the gorge, about 170 km from here, on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the police said. Rescue parties, consisting of police personnel and doctors,which were sent to the scene of the accident, took the injured and the dead out of the gorge.
Kifayat Hyder, SSP, National Highways, told The Tribune over the phone that Army choppers were also pressed into service to airlift the injured to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu, and the Government Hospital, Udhapmur. “I went to the scene of the accident and saw the marks of the tyres of the minibus before it skidded. It seems the driver applied the brakes, but lost control over the vehicle which fell into the gorge,” said Hyder, adding that no passenger was in a condition to give a statement.
“The driver, Farid Ahmed (35), a resident of Neel village in Banihal, was also seriously injured and was not in a position to say anything about the mishap,” Hyder said.
He said four passersby were also critically injured as they were crushed under the falling vehicle. “All the injured have been admitted to various hospitals across the region and their condition is said to be critical,” he said.
The SSP said the vehicle was overloaded and there was no parapet on the road.
Asked about the failure of the police to check the overloading of passenger vehicles and whether the department had written to the authorities concerned to install parapets, the SSP said, “We are trying our best to keep a check on overloading, but still the illegal practice is going on. Almost 65 per cent work of the installation of parapets on the national highway has been completed, but the stretch, where the accident occurred, is still without a parapet as rain and landslides occur there almost everyday.”
Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister Abdul Gani Malik, along with a number of senior officials, visited the scene. He announced Rs 1 lakh as compensation each to next of kin of the deceased and Rs 10,000 to the injured from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund
Pawan Kotwal, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, said over the phone, “Earlier, there were 17 casualties, but two more persons died at the GMCH. He also announced Rs 25,000 each each to next of kin of the deceased and Rs 10,000 each to the injured.
Meanwhile, Governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have expressed grief over the loss of precious human lives in the accident.
In a message, the Governor expressed sympathy with the bereaved families and prayed for the early recovery of those injured in the accident.

The overloaded minibus was going from Ramban to Banihal when it met with the accident Army choppers were also pressed into service to airlift the injured to hospitals Four passersby were also critically injured as they were crushed under the falling vehicle Higher Education Minister Abdul Gani Malik announced Rs 1 lakh as compensation each to next of kin of the deceased and Rs 10,000 to the injured