4 airlifted to Jammu, maximum victims from Surankote
Govt announces ex-gratia for kin of dead, injured
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 2: Ten persons were killed while 37 others injured, some of them critically when a speeding private passenger bus rolled down into a gorge near Lamberi in Nowshera area of district Rajouri this afternoon.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the mishap took place at around 2 pm when the ill-fated bus No. JK02AL/ 1361 was on way to Jammu from Surankote. As it reached Lamberi, the over speeding bus went out of control while overtaking an Army vehicle on sloppy road near small bridge and rolled down into nearly 200 feet deep gorge.
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Eyewitnesses said that when the bus driver was overtaking the Army vehicle due to sharp curve near bridge, he could not see the motorcycle coming from the opposite direction and while saving the bike rider, he lost control on bus and it landed into a deep gorge, causing tragic mishap.
Six persons were killed on the spot, one while shifting to Sunderbani hospital, two including a child in GMC Hospital Jammu while another on way from Sunderbani to Jammu. Identity of the two persons whose dead bodies were lying in Nowshera hospital’s mortuary could not be established till late this evening, a senior police officer said.
He said the bus driver apparently managed to jump out of vehicle and escape from the spot. The police was looking for him. The bike rider also suffered injuries after he was thrown away with the impact of bus.
Eight deceased persons were identified as – Abdul Ghani, son of Karim Baksh from Marhot in Surankote; Saqib Sheraz, son of Sheraz Ahmed from Mastan Darra in Surankote; Bahab Din Shah, son of Yaseen Shah from Doongi Garati, Amkala, son of Ahmed Joo from Sangla in Surankote; Manzoor Hussain, son of Salam Din from Draba in Surankote, Anwar Khan, son of Seraj Din from Mehari in Katra; Ehsan Ul-Haq, son of Abdul Haq from Surankote and 3 year-old Uplaksh, son of Pawan Kumar, resident of Nowshera.
The District Administration has sanctioned immediate ex-gratia of Rs one lakh to the legal heirs of the deceased, Rs 25,000 to those critically injured and Rs 5000 to those with minor injuries. The DC requisitioned an IAF helicopter for airlifting seriously injured passengers to GMC Hospital, Jammu.
Immediately after the accident, the people from Lamberi and Siot area rushed to the spot. The movement of the vehicles on busy Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch road came to halt. The police parties from Sunderbani and Nowshera also rushed to the spot along with ambulances.
Two Ambulances of BSF and Army were also requisitioned from Sunderbani area while several injured were shifted in minibus and private cars by the locals of the area. A few persons trapped under the vehicle were also later rescued by the people and police.
SSP Rajouri, Yougal Manhas said that this Poonch route bus coming from Surankote, was over-speeding and its driver, as per passengers, was frequently using mobile phone. After long sloppy straight road at Lamberi between Sunderbani and Nowshera there was sudden sharp curve near bridge and the driver could not negotiate it as he was overtaking a vehicle. He said the police parties from Sunderbani and Nowshera immediately reached to the spot and launched rescue operation.
SSP Traffic, Rural Jammu, M L Kaith said that this ill-fated bus left Surankote at 10.30 AM. There were 33 passengers as per challan from bus service counter at Surankote. He said the bus lifted some passengers from Rajouri and as per information about 45 persons were onboard including driver and conductor. Kaith said the driver failed to negotiate curve while overtaking an Army vehicle, leading to accident. He said the whereabouts of the driver were not known after accident.
Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, Nazir Ahmed Sheikh and Additional DC Nowshera S S Sambyal rushed to the spot and then to Sunderbani hospital and supervised the rescue and relief work and reviewed the medical facilities being provided to the victims. Four seriously injured passengers were sent to Jammu in the IAF chopper which took off around 4 pm from BSF helipad at Sunderbani.
The district administration also deputed ADC, Sunderbani Vinod Kumar Behnal to help the patients and their attendants and to avoid any inconvenience to them. The DC said that 19 injured persons were referred to GMC Hospital Jammu while 19 others were undergoing treatment at SDH Sunderbani. Out of the critically injured, one died on way to Jammu and two in GMC Hospital Jammu this evening.
The injured were identified as- Mushtaq Ahmed, son of Mir Hussain from Bagnoti; Kajal Sharma-18, resident of Laman; Asgar Ali-22, son of Saifuddin from Surankote; Alam Din-23, son of Salaya Din from Surankote, Gulzar Ahmed -22 from Mendhar, Junaid-40 yrs from Surankote, Manju Devi-25, resident of Sayada; Sapna Devi-23 from Nowshera, Ashiya Khatoon from Lamberi, Gopal Krishan -43 from Lamberi, Mohd Mushtaq-41 from Rohas (S’kot), Deepak Kumar -18 from Chhatisgarh; Ravi Kumar -16 from Bihar, Gul Mushtaq -18 from Surankote, Sajjad -19 from Surankote; Safeer Ahmed -27 from Mendhar, Shakoor Khan-23 from Surankote, Nazir Ahmed -55 from Surankote, Nissar Ahmed-25 from Surankote, Munshi Khan -64 from Surankote, Sajjad Ahmed -18 from Baria in Bihar, Fateh Hussain -50 from Surankote, Saddam Hussain -55 from Surankote, Lakyas Hussain -60 from Surankote, Mohd Afzal-50 from Surankote, Abdul Rehman-25 from Surankote, Amin Din -36 yrs from Bihar, Mehandiya, son of Mohd Hasham from Mendhar, Tahir Hussain-18, son of Haji Munshi Khan from Surankote; Abdul Rashid-45, son of Mohd Ramzan from Doda; Mohd Ibraham-17, son of Altaf Hussain from Gundna in Doda; Mohd Soofi-70, son of Zamdin from Surankote, Vishal Sharma-17, son of Subhash Chander from Doongi Garati in Rajouri, Bharti Sharma-22, son of Subhash Chander from Laman and Bhagwan Dass, son of Om Parkash from Hanjana in Nowshera.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and PCC vice president Raman Bhalla along with PCC chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma and others visited GMC hospital and inquired about the health condition of the injured. They demanded Rs 10 lakh as ex-gratia for the families of the deceased and Rs one lakh for the injured persons. They also conveyed their condolences to the families of deceased. PCC chief GA Mir has also expressed deep shock over the mishap and conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
The BJP also expressed deep grief and shock over the loss of lives in the Lamberi bus accident and asked the administration to take immediate steps for providing relief to the survivors.
J&K BJP chief Ravider Raina expressed full sympathy with the families of the injured and the dead and said that the BJP stands with them as their own family in the hour of distress. He demanded Rs 10 lakh as relief to the family of the dead and Rs 5 lakhs to the seriously injured.
Provincial president National Conference Devender Singh Rana also expressed deep shock over loss of precious lives in the road mishap and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and wished speedy recovery to the injured.
Senior NC leaders Sayed Mushtaq Bukhari, Javed Rana, Rachpal Singh, Ajaz Jan, Bashir Ahmed Wani, Ch Liaqat and others also expressed deep shock over the tragic death of 10 persons in Rajouri road accident.
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