Ajay Raina
JAMMU, Aug 11: In yet another tragic accident in the hilly areas, seven persons lost their lives while as eight others received grievous injuries when an overloaded Trax Cruiser vehicle, they were traveling in, skidded off the road and plunged into deep gorge near Puneja in Chiralla tehsil of Doda district.
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The ill-fated vehicle bearing registration number JK02AR-8358 carrying 15 persons was on its way to Chiralla from Pul Doda when the driver lost control over the vehicle due to slippery road conditions as a result of which vehicle plunged into 150 feet deep gorge near village Puneja resulting into serious injuries to all the passengers.
On getting information, police team rushed to the spot and with the help of Army personnel, locals and traffic cops started rescue operation.
All the injured persons were brought out of the gorge and shifted to District Hospital Doda where doctors declared four of them as brought dead. Later, two more succumbed to injuries raising the death toll to 6. Out of 9 injured persons, seven were, later, referred to Government Medical College and Hospital Jammu for advanced treatment, but one of the injured succumbed to his injuries near Udhampur, further raising the death toll to 7.
The deceased have been identified as Mohammad Yousaf Khan (80), son of Wali Khan, a resident of Sunathawa, 30-year-old Om Prakash (driver), son of Shanker Singh, a resident of Bakani Thawa, Fazal Din, son of Roshan Din, a resident of Jandani, Punjab Singh, son of Khazan Chand, a resident of Bonjwah, Rajeshwar Singh (45), son of Bhuda Singh, a resident of Marsoo Ranka, Assar, Abdul Rashid, son of Mangata Sheikh, a resident of Dalyan, Gandoh and Gulab Singh, son of Hakum Singh, a resident of Sharreena.
The injured have been identified as Pardeep Singh, son of Balwant Singh of Kothi Chiralla, Vishno Nath, son of Chuni Lal, a resident of Puneja, Amrik Singh, son of Thakur Lal, a resident of Puneja Bajju Chiralla, Archana Devi, wife of Suresh Sharma, her son Vansh Sharma and her daughter Pretika Sharma, resident of Bharoth, Daleep Singh, son of Ishar Lal, a resident of Puneja Chiralla and Bipan Singh, son of Krishan Kumar, a resident of Jagotha.
According to the eyewitnesses, dilapidated condition of the road was the main reason behind the accident. “Government has failed to repair the roads in the hilly areas and this is the main reason behind accidents that have taken place in the area till date”, they said, adding “worst condition of the roads is giving an open invitation to the accidents but the Government has maintained blind eye towards this grave issue”.
Apart from the worst condition of the roads, the overloading by the passengers’ vehicles plying in the mountainous belt of the State is also being ignored by the Traffic Police.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has expressed shock and grief over the death of seven passengers in this road accident.
On hearing about the accident, the Chief Minister directed immediate evacuation of the injured for specialized treatment at Jammu hospital. Expressing concern over the rising road accidents and loss of lives, Mehbooba directed the concerned departments to undertake reviews and initiate necessary steps to check frequent road accidents.
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