Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 31: Nine members of a marriage party were killed while four others including driver, critically injured, when an overloaded Tata Sumo vehicle rolled down into nearly 300 feet deep gorge in Hill Kaka area of Bufliaz in Surankote Sub Division of district Poonch this afternoon.
Reports reaching here said that mishap took place at around 4.30 pm when the members of a marriage party, mostly hailing from Gursai area of Mendhar, were returning from marriage function at remote Murha village in Hill Kaka area of Bufliaz. As the over-loaded vehicle bearing registration number JK-12/2725 reached near Tararanwali Morha, the driver- Zaheer Abbas lost control over the vehicle at a curve on this rough and fair-weather road and it rolled down into nearly 300 feet deep gorge.
Immediately after the incident, the locals of the area and relatives of the victims rushed to the spot and launched rescue operation. The Army personnel from a nearby unit also reached there to join locals. They came down into the gorge and then after tough efforts brought the injured and dead bodies to the road.
Police party from Bufliaz Police Post and Surankote Police Station led by SDPO Tanveer also reached the spot and joined rescue operation. They shifted the injured and dead bodies of the accident victims to Surankote hospital.
Six persons were killed on the spot and two others succumbed to the injuries while being shifted to Surankote Sub District Hospital and the third, passed away during treatment in the hospital after some time.
The deceased were identified as Gulam Rabani (55), son of Abdul Karim; Mohd Fazal (60), son of Sattar Mohd; Fazal Ahmed (62), son of Noor Dad; Gulam Geelani (55), son of Mohd Sharief; Abid Kohli (28), all hailing from Gursai; Mushtaq Ahmed (63), son of Said Mohd, hailing from Salyan; Mohd Akbar ( 60), son of Mohd Hussain, Showkit Hussain (45), son of Mohd Yousuf and Jahangir Ahmed (29), son of Gulab Din- all residents of Dingla. Their bodies were lying in the mortuary of SDH, Surankote.
Four injured persons were referred to GMC Hospital, Rajouri from Sub District Hospital, Surankote. They are- Zaheer Abbas ( Sumo driver), son of Mushtaq Ahmed from Gursai in Mendhar; Anaya Shoket, minor daughter of Mohd Shoket from Dingla, Haroon, son of Mohd Zabir and Mohd Zabir, son of Nazir Hussain, both residents of Gursai. The condition of two including driver was said to be serious.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Rajouri-Poonch Range, Vivek Gupta said that the area is very remote and the condition of road is also not good. He said the vehicle was overloaded as against the capacity of 9, 13 passengers were travelling in it.
The DIG further said that six persons were killed on the spot while three others succumbed to the injuries later while being shifted to Surankote hospital. One injured was identified later as he passed away on way to hospital. They all were the part of a marriage party and suddenly met with tragic and unfortunate fate, he added.
Gupta said SDPO and SHO Surankote along with police force and medical team rushed to the spot to join rescue operation. The ambulances were also sent to the area with manpower. The Administration provided all the support and the policemen with the help of locals, evacuated the injured and dead bodies from the deep gorge to the road.
Deputy Commissioner Poonch, Inderjeet said that immediately after he received the information about this tragic accident in Bufliaz area, he directed the Sub Divisional officers to rush to the spot and provide every possible help to the accident victims. Their relatives had already reached there from the nearby Murha village.
Responding to a query, the DC said that the condition of road was not good and Moreover, the vehicle was also over loaded. The concerned Traffic Police officials have been directed to investigate the cause of accident. He said the mishap took place at around 4.30 pm and it took long time to the rescue team to climb down the deep gorge and then evacuate the victims to the road. Inderjeet said that he was closely monitoring the entire rescue operation.
The locals of the area claimed that Murrah village and Tararanwalli fall on Bufliaz-Hill Kaka road which remained in the headlines of the newspapers during 1995 due to den of terrorists which was smashed by the Indian Army. The road was initially constructed by the Army for carrying out smooth operation at Hill Kaka. Thereafter, the civil administration did not initiate any considerable work on this road despite the fact that 3-4 villages and several hamlets fall in the area with good population. They said that due to worst condition of this neglected road, the accident has taken place.
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