Rash driving leads to mishap
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, June 23: A Lecturer and two Government teachers, were among seven people killed in tragic road accident in remote Budhal area of district Rajouri this afternoon.
Official sources said that the mishap took place at around 4.30 pm when the ill-fated Tempo Traveller vehicle, bearing registration number, JK02AU/ 8910 was on way to Chassana in Mahore area of district Reasi from Rajouri. Ten persons including a couple and driver, were on board the vehicle when the tragedy struck. There was no rain and the weather was also clear.
As the over-speeding vehicle was hardly 3 kilometers shot of Budhal town, near Kewal village, the driver while giving passage to another vehicle, lost control and the Tempo landed into nearly 200 feet deep gorge, resulting into the death of two persons on the spot and serious injuries to eight other persons including driver.
Immediately after the tragic accident, the locals of the area rushed to the spot and launched rescue operation. Police party from Budhal Police Station led by SHO and Army personnel from the nearby 60 RR Unit also arrived the spot after some time along with Medical team and two ambulances. The vehicle had been turned into nearly ‘wreckage’ after striking with the boulders while rolling down the hill.
While Lecturer, Mohd Taj, resident of village Toppa in Mendhar and presently posted in Govt Higher Secondary School, Gota in Mahore and vehicle driver Kulwant Singh were killed on the spot, the eight injured persons including two teachers were evacuated to the road after tough efforts by the villagers, Police and Army men. Some of the victims had been trapped in the wreckage of the vehicle and were dragged out with tough efforts.
Another injured succumbed to injuries while being shifted to Community Health Centre, Kandi while three others seriously injured died on the way to Rajouri District Hospital from CHC, Kandi. Seventh critically injured, Mohd Manzoor hailing from Budhal succumbed to injuries in Rajouri District Hospital late this evening.
Three injured were undergoing treatment in District Hospital Rajouri, while one of them was later referred to Govt Medical College Hospital, Jammu. The injured were identified as Zaheen Akhtar (10), daughter of Liaqat Ali, resident of Tuli Bana in Mahore; Mohd Azam (25), son of Mohd Din, resident of Tuli and Mohd Shakeel (19), son of Mohd Iqbal, resident of Tuli ( Chassana).
The deceased were identified as Mohd Taj (52), son of Mohd Hussain, resident of Toppa village in Mendhar; Mohd Farooq-30 (Teacher), son of Abdul Rashid, resident of Tuli Bana; Abdul Rashid- 49 (Teacher), son of Mohd Iqbal, resident of Bari Darhal; vehicle driver Kulwant Singh-32, son of Sukhdev Singh hailing from village Kangota in Budhal; Suneet Singh-30, son of Chatter Singh and his wife- Kailash Devi (26), residents of Chassana and Mohd Manzoor (31), son of Mohd Din, resident of Budhal.
Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri Aijaz Ahmed Asad and SSP, Yougal Manhas rushed to the hospital and supervised the treatment being provided to the injured. The DC said that vehicle was over speeding. The road in the area where accident took place is quite wide but this accident happened due to negligence of the driver as narrated by one of the injured persons.
The DC said that deceased Lecturer had warned the driver on the way not to indulge in rash driving. They both had some heated arguments over the issue and some other passengers also intervened and asked driver to drive safe. But he did not bother much and after driving vehicle in limited speed for some time, again started rash driving. The vehicle had left Rajouri at 1 pm for Chassana in Reasi district, the Deputy Commissioner added.
SSP, Rajouri Yougal Manhas said that soldiers from local RR Unit at Budhal also joined the rescue operation and provided ambulance for shifting injured and dead bodies. Two dead bodies including that of the Lecturer, were handed over to the families after conducting post-mortem in DH Rajouri this evening. He said over speeding was the cause of accident and Budhal Police has registered a case in this connection. The SSP said that the vehicle was underload and two lucky passengers had boarded off hardly one kilometer earlier.
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