15 dead in Kishtwar road accident
KISHTWAR — Four more persons, injured in a road mishap in Kishtwar on Friday morning, succumbed to their injuries, taking the death toll of passengers to fifteen so far.
An official of the administration said that eleven persons were killed on the spot while as fifteen others were injured, nine of them seriously. “Among the injured, four more succumbed later in the district hospital”.
The condition of five more persons was stated to be very critical, he said.
The mishap occurred at around 10:00 am in the morning when a passenger vehicle (mini-bus JK17-0663) skidded off the road and fell down about 250 ft deep into Chenab River at Tahtgan area near Kudiyapul in Thakrie area of Bhandarkot.
The bus was carrying over 30 passengers.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Sanjeev Verma said that soon after the mishap, a rescue operation was launched which was still under way.
“We have also pressed helicopters into service while as senior officers of the district including Deputy Commissioner and SSP are on the spot and are supervising the operation,” Verma said.
Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Angrez Singh Rana said the district administration was making efforts to airlift critically-injured passengers to Jammu.”The next of the kin of the deceased will be given an ex gratia relief of Rs 5 lakh each, while Rs 50,000 will be given to each of the injured persons,” Rana said.
This is the third major accident in Kishtwar district in the last one month.
While 13 persons were killed when their cab plunged into a gorge on August 21, seven persons were killed and 12 others injured when two vehicles were hit by boulders a day earlier.
