Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 18: Three persons were killed while at least twenty-eight others injured, some of them seriously when an over loaded mini-bus carrying party workers to Congress rally, skidded off the road and fell into a gorge near Mahanpur in district Kathua today.
The mishap took place at around 12.30 pm when the ill-fated bus bearing registration No. JK08B/ 6597 was on its way to Phinter in tehsil Billawar where large Congress workers’ rally was being organized. Most of the victims hailed from Bohra village near Bala Sunderi in tehsil Billawar.
As the driver lost control at a sharp curve near Mahanpur town, the vehicle rolled down into the gorge. The locals shifted the victims to Mahanpur hospital. The police also reached there to join the rescue work.
Two persons were killed on the spot whereas, third succumbed to injuries while being shifted to nearby Mahanpur hospital. The deceased were identified as Chain Singh (25), son of Parkash Singh, Parkash Chand (55), son of Nek Ram and Kewal Krishan, son of Gian Chand, all residents of Bohra village in Billawar.
SSP Kathua, J L Sharma said that mini-bus was over-loaded and said to be moving fast on this hilly road. He said after coming to know about the mishap, the police rescue party was rushed to the spot.
Out of the ten persons referred to District Hospital, Kathua, four seriously injured were further referred to GMC Hospital, Jammu. They were identified as Ghulam Mohammed, son of Abdul Ghani, Parveen Singh, son of Anant Singh of Bohra, Mohd Iqbal, son of Mohd Din, resident of Faffal and Shanker Singh, son of Bir Singh, resident of Jathana village, at the bank of river Ujh. Six undergoing treatment in Kathua hospital were identified as Mohd Yaqoob, son of Mohd Wali, Shabir Ahmed, son of Khan Mohd, Sameer Singh, son of Bir Singh, Chhaju Ram, son of Mangat Ram, Vikram Singh, son of Man Singh and Man Singh, son of Chatar Singh, all hailing from Bohra village.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Dy Chief Minister Tara Chand announced ex-gratia-relief of Rs 80,000 in favour of the families of the deceased persons. Minister of State for Cooperatives Dr Manohar Lal immediately after the accident rushed to the Billawar and then Kathua hospital to inquire about the condition of the injured persons and assured every possible help to them.
Mr Azad, DyCM Tara Chand, MP, Lal Singh, former ministers G M Saroori, Jugal Kishore and MLC Subash Gupta condoled the death of three Congress workers in road accident and extended their sympathy with the bereaved families. They said that party will provide every possible help to the families of the deceased persons and even those seriously injured in the accident.
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