Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 5: Seven persons including two police personnel were killed, while two others received severe injuries in road accidents at different locations on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in the mountainous Ramban and Udhampur districts.
As per police sources, Omni Van without registration number was on its way to Banihal from Ramsoo in district Ramban, when the driver lost control over the vehicle and it plunged into 450 feet deep gorge near Rattan Bass area on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway this morning, resulting into on the spot death of three persons including a couple.
After getting information, police team rushed to the spot and with the help of locals started rescue operation.
All the injured persons were rushed to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Banihal, from where they were later referred to Bone and Joint Hospital at Srinagar. During shifting, two more injured persons breathed their last, taking the death toll to five.
The deceased have been identified as Mohammad Ayoub (50), son of Abdul Aziz, a resident of Sarbagni, his wife Parveen Begum (40), 31-year-old Shabir Ahmed (driver), son of Ghulam Mohammad Naik of Tachi, tehsil Banihal, Nargis (36), wife of Parvez Khan, a resident of Chamalwas and Irfan Ahmed (34), son of Asadullah Malik, a resident of Malikpora Chachihall, tehsil Banihal.
The injured persons identified as 30-year-old Gulzar Ahmed (SPO), son of Gul Mohammad of Ramsoo and Hanan Parveez Khan (13), son of Parveez Ahmed of Chamalwas age 13 were later referred to a hospital in Srinagar, where they were undergoing treatment, when reports last came in.
A case under relevant Sections has been registered at Banihal police station and investigation started.
Eyewitnesses said that the driver was driving the vehicle in rash and negligent manner, which led to accident and loss of precious lives.
They stated that the vehicles plying on mountainous routes of the State particularly from Ramsoo to Banihal runs in negligent manner, but men in blue had turned a blind eye towards it as they (cops) are allegedly involved in taking ‘Hafta’ from them.
They expressed strong resentment against the police personnel for not taking action against the negligent driving on the hilly routes and appealed to the higher authorities to curb the accidents by keeping check over the vehicles plying in the mountainous areas of the Jammu and Kashmir.
In another tragic accident at district Udhampur, two police cops lost their lives, when the motorcycle they were riding on skidded off the road and plunged into gorge near Thalata on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
On getting information, police team from Rehambal police station and locals rushed to the spot, retrieved the bodies from the gorge and shifted them to District Hospital Udhampur, where after conducting autopsy, the bodies were handed over to legal heirs for last rites.
The deceased have been identified as constable Mansoor Ahmed, son of Mohammad Iqbal of Mughal Maidan, district Kishtwar and constable Liyaqat Hussain, son of Ali Mohammad, a resident of Padder, district Kishtwar.
The deceased constable Liyaqat Hussain and constable Mansoor Ahmed were posted with IRP 14th and IRP-5th Battalion respectively. They were heading towards their respective homes, when the tragedy struck.
A case in this regard has been registered at Rehambal police station and investigation started.
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