Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 18: Two persons were killed while at least 21 others injured, four of them seriously, when an over loaded mini-bus skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Kalakote area of district Rajouri today.
Reports said the accident took place at around 12 noon when the ill-fated vehicle No. JK-11/ 4049, was on its way to Tattapani from Kalakote town. As the vehicle reached near Tundla, due to alleged rash driving the driver lost control and it landed into nearly 100 feet deep gorge. The driver jumped away and escaped from the spot. Total 22 passengers were onboard the 16- seater mini-bus.
Immediately after coming to know about the mishap, the police party from Kalakote and locals of the area rushed to the spot. They started rescue operation. Two persons were found dead on the spot and 20 other injured were removed to Kalakote hospital.
DySP Pardeep Singh said that condition of the road is not good and moreover, vehicle was also over loaded. It was said to be in speed and driver could not control it. He said that SHO Kalakote Vikram Parihar was on the spot. Seven seriously injured were referred to GMC Hospital Jammu and three of them were head injury cases. Driver was absconding and the investigation has been started after registration of a case in this connection.
The dead were later identified as Mohd Nasib (29), son of Mohd Shafi, resident of Baroh and Shamim Akhtar (35), wife of Mohd Farooq, resident of Mogla in Tattapani. Both wife and her husband -Mohd Farooq were travelling in the vehicle. Farooq received serious injuries and is hospitalized. The injured were provided first aid and other preliminary treatment at Kalakote hospital where doctors referred seven of them to Govt Medical College hospital, Jammu.
The injured admitted to Kalakote hospital were identified as Mohd Shabir, son of Faqir Mohammed resident of Gharat, Om Parkash, son of Vidhi Chand from Gharat. Netar Kumar, son of Durga Dass from Sadda, Salima Akhtar, wife of Mohd Nasib resident of Baroh, Kashmir Singh, son of Suram Chand of Gharat, Som Parkash, son of Ram Chand of Kalakote, Kuldip Kumar, son of Som Parkash, of Khairsu, Ritu, wife of Kuldip Kumar of Khairsu, Akshay Kumar son of Kashmir Singh of Kalakote, Radhika, daughter of Kuldip Kumar, Mohd Farooq of Mogla, 6 month old baby of Kuldip Kumar, Balbir Singh, son of Jia Lal of Baroh and Seema Devi, wife of Ved Kumar of Dali.
Seven injured persons referred to GMC hospital Jammu were identified as Chamail Singh, son of Balak Ram of Kalakote, Rashpal Singh, son of Vijay Singh of Baroh, Poonam Gupta, wife of Pawan Gupta of Kalakote, Anita Kumari, wife of Mohinder Singh of Potha, Satpal, son of Khem Raj of Tattapani, Om Parkash, son of Ram Chand of Kalakote Kaushal Kumar, son of Inder Parkash, resident of Tattapani. Condition of four was said to be serious.
The police has started search for the driver of the vehicle who was absconding.
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