Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Dec 10: In a tragic road accident, five persons were killed and 18 others got seriously injured when a minibus from Reasi to Katra rolled down in a deep gorge at Ballini near Ban Ganga Check Post in Reasi today
All the injured have been referred to Government Medical College Hospital and condition of some of them was stated to be critical.
The accident took place around 3.30 pm when the minibus, bearing registration number JK02R-5512, was on way from Reasi to Katra. Five persons died on the spot while driver and other passengers sustained serious injuries.
The deceased included a Junior Engineer, working with Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. He was identified as Sanjeev Magotra (50), son of Bal Krishan of Main Bazar Samba. Identity of the other deceased persons was established as Kamla Devi (52), wife of Chander Parkash Dubey of Ward number 5 in Katra, Tara Singh (46), son of Krishan of Dhanori and Neemo Devi (42), wife of Bodh Raj of Rajpura Udhampur. One male body could not be identified.
The injured were identified as Sonu (driver), son of Jagdish Singh of Katra, Rekha (19), daughter of Bindu of Serbarh Katra, Darshna (19), daughter of Krishan Singh of Daroor Katra, Shivali (20), daughter of Bodh Raj of Udhampur, Rajesh Kumar (14), son of Raju of Arnas, Vijay (55) son of Ramcharan of Katra, Kaku Ram (45), son of Jallu Ram of Daroor Katra, his wife Satya (40), Farman Ali (35), son of Bashir Ahmad of Fachu Chak Rajouri, Kuldeep Singh (20), son of Makhan of Reasi, Mohd Riyaz (55), son of Sadiq, Sita Ram (19), son of Abhay Ram of Seri, Subash Chander (37), son of Dev Raj of Rajouri, Mukesh (20), son of Milkha Ram of Sunderbani, Darshan Kumar (30), son of Ganga of Kanjali, Gaurab (38), son of Moti Lal of Punjab, Baldev Raj (50), son of late Krishan Chand of Agar Jitto and Fareed Ahmed 17), son of Ghulam Ahmed of Panasa.
According to an injured, the tragic mishap took place due to alleged negligence of the driver who was attending a call on his mobile phone when the minibus met with the accident. The minibus rolled down around 30 meter deep into the gorge near the site of under-construction Railway tunnel, about one km from Katra town.
Besides Police, some officers of the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board rushed to the site of accident and helped shifting the injured to Katra hospital by pressing into service the ambulances and other vehicles of the Shrine Board.
Expressing his serious concern and grief over the loss of human lives in the accident, Governor N N Vohra conveyed his heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families and prayed for speedy recovery to all the injured. He also directed the Shrine Board CEO Dr M K Bhandari to provide all help and support to the injured persons.
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