Driver lost control over overloaded vehicle due to doziness
Excelsior Correspondent
RAMBAN, May 30: In a tragic accident, 13 persons including six children were killed when an over-loaded Tata Sumo plunged into 300 meter deep gorge at Digdol on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on the intervening night of May 29 and 30.
The ill-fated vehicle bearing registration number JK14B-0689 was on its way from Jammu to Srinagar when it met with accident at Digdol near Army Camp under the jurisdiction of Ramban Police Station at around 3 am.
The accident was noticed by jawans on duty at the main entrance of the Army Camp and they immediately flashed message to Ramban Police Station about the tragedy. Though police personnel immediately rushed to the spot yet they could not immediately carry out rescue operation due to darkness and steepness of the gorge.
With the break of dawn, the police personnel with the help of Army and Quick Reaction Team (QRT) comprising local volunteers started rescue operation. Due to steepness of the gorge from the road side, the rescuers had to trek around two kilometers distance from the other side to reach the bottom of 300 meter deep gorge.
Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, Shabir Ahmed and SP Ramban, Anil Magotra also rushed to the spot to personally supervise the rescue operation. Keeping in view the tough terrain, it took nearly 10 hours to the rescuers to bring out the bodies from the gorge and shift them to District Hospital Ramban where all the occupants of the vehicle including driver were pronounced as brought dead.
Describing the scene in the gorge, one of the rescuers said, “the body parts of several passengers of the ill-fated vehicle were scattered in different directions thereby indicating the intensity with which the vehicle hit the bottom of the gorge”, adding “the condition of bodies of all the six children was worst”.
When contacted, SP Ramban, Anil Magotra, said, “it seems that accident took place after the driver felt doziness. Since none of the occupants of the ill-fated Sumo is alive it is difficult to ascertain the real cause of the accident”, adding “majority of the accidents on the National Highway particularly during the night hours take place due to the negligence of drivers”.
The deceased passengers have been identified as Mohan Lal, son of Khanna Ram, his wife Kalo Devi, their children Ashu, Neetu, Vijay Kumar, Mangoo Ram, son of Khanna Ram, Redoo Devi, wife of Kheroo Ram, Payal, daughter of Kheroo Ram, Navi, son of Babloo Ram, Nandli, daughter of Vijay Kumar, Rekha, daughter of Vijay Kumar, Sapna, daughter of Keroo Ram, all the residents of Sunder Nagar, near Dagah Mohalla, Hoshiarpur, Punjab.
The identity of driver has been established as Mustafa Malik, son of Abdul Majid Malik of Shergarhi, Srinagar.
“The tragic accident of Tata Sumo carrying 13 persons indicates that during the night hours overloading in the passenger vehicles is getting unchecked”, sources said, adding “in order to save the lives of innocent passengers, passenger vehicles should be checked at all the naka points on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway 1A during the night hours particularly when the tourists season is picking up and vehicle operators would try to carry passengers beyond the seating capacity”.
Meanwhile, Governor, N N Vohra and Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah expressed grief over the loss of precious lives in the tragic accident. They conveyed their sincere sympathy to the bereaved families and prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls.
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