Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 27: In a reckless incident, a truck driver crushed to death at least 30 cattle and injured 22 others in the wee hours of early Friday morning in Nowgam Bypass in the outskirts of Srinagar city.
Reports said the incident took place around 5 am on Friday morning when a speedy truck swept away more than 50 cattle including sheep and goats, meant for sacrificial purpose, at Srinagar’s Nowgam Bypass area.
Muhammad Shareef of Kanchol, Bakoli of Rajouri, who was shepherding the herd, said that a speeding truck started honking behind them as they were flocking his herd on Bypass before dawn prayers.
“We started making way for the truck after hearing the horn, but the driver sped the truck into the herd, killing 30 cattle on the spot and injuring 22 others. We had brought the cattle to Srinagar for selling them in view of the coming Id-Bakr. We have suffered a loss of around 8 lakh rupees,” Shareef said. He said the driver fled after the killing cattle.
Among the killed cattle, many, according to flock guardian, were expecting young ones.
Confirming the tragic incident, Station House Officer (SHO), Nowgam, Mushtaq Ahmad an FIR No. 125 under Section 279/429/336 has been registered in and the hunt for the driver has been launched.