Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, July 30: Four persons including two Forest Guards were killed while at least 17 others injured, seven of them seriously, when a passenger bus skidded off the road and fell into a gorge near Dhamnote village, ahead of Mongri in Pancheri area of Udhampur, bordering district Reasi this evening.
Reports said the incident took place at around 6.40 pm when the ill-fated bus, bearing registration number JK02F/4247 was on its way to Khor Gali from Udhampur town. This 42-seater bus left for its destination at around 4.30 pm from Udhampur bus stand and it was last bus service to this mountainous area falling near Bhamag belt of Reasi. From Kainth Gali, there is separate road link to Mongri and ahead of it there are several villages falling under remote area of Bhamag.
As the bus reached in Dubi Gali area, the co-driver lost control over the vehicle at a curve and the bus landed into a deep gorge, killing four persons on the spot and causing injuries to nearly 17 others. Immediately after receiving information about the mishap, the locals of the area and police party from Police Post Damnote, rushed to the spot and started rescue operation.
Due to darkness in the area, the people engaged in rescue operation had to face problem. The police from district headquarters led by Additional SP was rushed to the spot along with ambulances. The locals had also pressed their own vehicles to shift the injured persons to the nearby Mongri Primary Health Centre.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Udhampur-Reasi Range, Gareeb Dass told the Excelsior that four persons have been killed in the mishap. He said the seriously injured were being shifted to Udhampur while some of them were removed to nearly Mongri Primary Health Centre. The area is about 55-60 kms from the district headquarters and it was last bus service to the area. This is basically a link road and condition of this road is not good. It has been alleged by some injured passengers that driver boarded off the vehicle on the way and co-driver was driving the bus. He failed to negotiate a curve in Dubi Gali forest area and the bus rolled down into a gorge.
SSP Udhampur Suleman Choudhary said that all the four dead persons have been identified while about a dozen injured persons were being shifted to District Hospital Udhampur from Mongri PHC. Four others were undergoing treatment at Mongri while one was discharged after providing first aid. He said a police party from PP Damnote had already reached the spot while another team led by ASP Udhampur was dispatched to the accident site. He said the police has started investigation into the matter and it was being ascertained whether person driving the vehicle had valid driving license or not.
The police identified the deceased persons as Raj Singh (Forest Guard), resident of Katra, Sanal Singh (Forest Guard), resident of Landhar, Saif Din, son of Gagga, resident of Nali Nikka village and Rukam Din, son of Feroz Din, resident of Dubi Gali.
The injured have been identified as Pushpa Devi (18), daughter of Krishan Singh of Basnote village, Ganga Ram (48), son of Chand, resident of Nali Nikka, Sanjay (15), son of Jarnail Singh of Kalsot, Sudesh Singh (29), son of Sansar Singh of Dubi Gali, Dhian Singh (27), son of Duni Ram of Dubi Gali, Mandia (55), wife of Birju, resident of Basnote, Bansi Lal (35), son of Birju, resident of Basnote, Romesh Singh, son of Mani Ram of Basnote, Romesh Chand, son of Ganga Ram, resident of Damnote, Rashpal Singh (47), son of Chaman Lal, resident of Basnote, Ravinder Singh (22), son of Krishan Singh of Basnote, Naseeb Raj (35), son of Munshi Ram, resident of Dubi Gali, Shabir Mohd (17), son of Padam Din, resident of Nali Nikka, Romal Singh (45), son of Ram Chand, resident of Dubi Gali, Kewal Kumar (30), son of Chandu Ram, resident of Sujan Dhar and Karnail Singh (16), son of Rashpal Singh resident of Basnote. The condition of Mandia and Pushpa was said to be critical.
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