Boulders hit highway near Samroli
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 26: Massive landslide on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway near Samroli in Chenani sector, caused extensive damage to the road, two machines and a Tipper of private construction company, a truck operator was killed as a shooting stone hit him on highway near Ramban last night, while a girl was killed and at least eight people injured when a Sumo rolled down in Thannamandi area of Rajouri today.
Official sources said that men and machinery of a private company were engaged in road widening work near Samroli between Udhampur and Chenani today. The weather in the area was clear but suddenly at around 1 pm, massive landslide along with falling of big boulders, occurred at the site.
A JCB operator ran for safety but was trapped and got seriously injured. A large Tipper/Dumper parked at the site for loading of debris was hit by the boulders and rolled down the slope towards river Tawi. It suddenly caught fire and was extensibly damaged. An excavator was also crushed by rocks and thrown down the river while a JCB/ loader was damaged in the land slide.
Besides JCB driver, two more persons were injured in the mishap and were rushed to District Hospital. Udhampur. However, 32-year old, JCB driver, Mohd Afroz Alam, son of Feroz Khan, resident of Thawar, Aurangabad in Bihar, succumbed to injuries. His body was sent to the mortuary of DH, Udhampur. The injured employees of Gammon India Ltd Anish (26 yrs), son of Jagdish Kumar of Udhampur and another supervisor, were provided treatment at Udhampur hospital.
With the massive land slides, the Jammu -Srinagar National Highway, which was re-opened after the gap of three days on Thursday, was again blocked. The movemet of traffic from Jammu and Udhampur to Kashmir, Ramban, Banihal, Doda, Bhaderwah and Kishtwar besides Chenani- Sudhmahadev, Latti and Duru areas, and also from the other side, came to halt. A large number of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the blocked road.
Reports from Ramban said that 23-year-old Juned Ahmed, son of Mehraj Ahmed, resident of Hurdu village in Anantnag Kashmir, working as cleaner with truck No. JK03H/7808, was hit by shooting stones in Digdole area of Ramban last night and fell into the deep gorge.
The mishap took place when the cleaner came out of the truck to remove stones lying on the highway. But he was trapped in the shooting stones from the hillock. The driver reversed the vehicle and saved his life. The victims’s body could be retrieved from the deep gorge after long efforts by police and locals of the area. Later, it was shifted to Ramban hospital for performing legal formalities.
IG Traffic, J&K, T Namgyal, when contacted, said the National Highway has been blocked at Samroli, between Udhampur and Chenani Tunnel due to falling of boulders on the road. One JCB operator also lost life in the mishap and two others were injured. He said a dumper caught fire and was pushed down the road by boulders.
Namgyal said efforts were on to restore the highway but it will take much time because, NH agencies need to blast/ break the big boulders lying on the highway. ” We are hopeful about restoration of single passage by tomorrow morning but it may take some more time to ensure two-way traffic and get double lane restored,” the IG Traffic added.
He said being Friday, the traffic on Jammu- Srinagar was already restricted today. The maintenance works are going on all along the highway in Ramban/ Banihal sector. But local traffic besides vehicles on Batote-Kishtwar-Doda- Bhaderwah roads were plying.
SSP Traffic, National Highway, J S Johar said that after highway clearance in Ramban area on Thursday, stranded vehicles including trucks and oil tankers towards Kashmir were allowed and subsequently cleared. During night, vehicles from Kashmir side were allowed to move towards Jammu and by morning many were cleared. Today, no traffic movement from Kashmir or Jammu side was allowed. Johar hoped that highway will be fully restored by mid-day tomorrow.
Meanwhile, a 12-year-old girl was killed and eight other persons were injured when a Tata Sumo vehicle, bearing registration number JK-11-9709 rolled down the road and turned turtle near Thannamandi in district Rajouri this evening.
The mishap took place when the vehicle loaded with passengers was on way to Darra village from Thannamandi. When the vehicle hardly crossed Old Thannamandi, due to driver’s negligence the vehicles rolled down the narrow road and turned turtle.
The people rushed to the site for rescue operation. The police party led by SHO Fareed Choudhary also reached there followed by SDM, Thannamandi, Dr Zakir Qureshi and Tehsildar Mehmood Khan.
The injured were shifted to local hospital. Minor Shahida Kouser, daughter of Mohd Altaf, resident of Dhoke Thanna died while being shifted to hospital. Some of the passengers sustained minor injuries. Those admitted to hospital were identified as Mohd Sadiq, Saima Kouser, Yasmeen Kouser, Abdul Rashid, Mohd Makhna, Nusrat Akhtar and Shakeela Begum. Seven injured were shifted to GMC Rajouri. Driver with minor injuries escaped from the spot.
The police has taken cognizance of the matter and registered a case FIR No. 50/ 2021 against the Sumo driver.
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