Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 17: The negligent driving once again led to two tragic road accidents in the erstwhile Doda district killing five persons including a couple and injuring seven others. The mishaps have once again put a huge question mark on the steps, which the State Government is claiming to have taken, to check tragedies on the roads particularly in the hilly districts.
The first accident took place near Thalela under the jurisdiction of Thathri Police Station in Doda district when a Tata Sumo bearing registration number JK02AG-840 rolled down into deep gorge due to the negligence of the driver, who reportedly failed to negotiate the curve while driving the vehicle rashly.
The vehicle was on its way from Charala to Doda but before reaching its destination it met with tragic accident and snatched the lives of four persons including a couple besides rendering two others critically injured.
On getting information about the accident, police personnel from Thathri Police Station rushed to the spot and started rescue operation with the help of local people and Army’s local unit. After nearly hour long operation, all the six occupants of the vehicle were brought out of the gorge and rushed to District Hospital Doda where doctors pronounced two of them as brought dead while as two injured succumbed to injuries later raising the toll in the accident to four.
The deceased have been identified as Jaswant Singh, son of Amar Nath of Nai Bhalla, his wife Bimla Devi, Babu, son of Ghori Chand of Charella (driver of the vehicle) and Inderjeet, son of Som Nath of Punja Doda. The injured have been identified as Shashi Kumar, son of Jaswant Singh of Nai Doda and Rajinder Singh, son of Bachiter Singh of Rokali. The condition of injured was stated to be out of danger when reports last came in.
In the second accident, one person was killed and five others sustained injuries when a Tavera vehicle bearing registration number JK01N-6393, which was on its way from Jammu to Srinagar, rolled down into deep gorge at Sher Bibi under the jurisdiction of Police Station Banihal. This accident was also caused by rash and negligent driving.
The deceased has been identified as Sameer Ahmed, son of Abdul Aziz Khan of Srinagar while as the identity of injured has been established as Abdul Majeed Mir, son of Mohd Sultan of Haiderpura, Srinagar, Sayed Altaf Ahmed, son of Sayeed Abdul Gani of Budgam, Ali Mohd Nagar, son of Abdul Gani of Srinagar, Bilal Ahmed, son of Ali Mohd of Natipura and Gh Din Wani, son of Gh Mohd Wani of Pattan.
The mishaps have once again put a question mark on the steps, which the State Government is claiming to have taken to prevent recurrence of such tragedies particularly in the erstwhile Doda district. Even few days back when a tragic accident took place in Kishtwar district, the Government issued fresh directions to the different agencies responsible for checking the road accidents but today’s accidents have exposed that these agencies have scant regard for the directions.
“There is no check on the rash and negligent driving despite frequent accidents and prevailing situation indicates that Government has virtually surrendered before the vehicle operators, who are putting at risk the lives of commuters travelling in the hilly areas particularly the erstwhile Doda district”, some people of Doda told EXCELSIOR on telephone.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed grief over the loss of lives in the road accidents.
He has directed the administration for providing all possible treatment to the injured.
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