Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 16: In a tragic accident, 14 persons were killed and 28 others sustained injuries, five of them critically when a rashly driven and overloaded mini-bus plunged into deep gorge in Ramban district this afternoon. The accident has once again proved that there is no check on the violations by the passenger vehicle operators and inefficiency of the Traffic Police is at its height.
The ill-fated mini-bus bearing registration number JK14A-9162 was on its way from Banihal Railway Station to Ramban town when it met with accident at Battery Chashma on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway this afternoon due to the negligence of driver. The vehicle landed in the bottom of the gorge with big bang causing grievous injuries to all its occupants.
The intensity of Traffic Rules violations can be gauged from the fact that the mini-bus was badly overloaded besides being driven rashly that too in the hilly terrain. The tragic accident has put a question mark on the functioning of Traffic Police personnel deployed on the National Highway as the vehicle reached Battery Chashma from Banihal Railway Station without being checked for violations, reports said.
On getting information about the tragic accident, police parties and Quick Reaction Team rushed to the spot and started rescue operation. Even Army column located nearby immediately rushed to the spot to assist the police, QRT, locals and Red Cross volunteers in rescue operation.
During the rescue operation, one person, who was standing at the accident spot, suddenly had a fall in the gorge resulting into his death.
After hectic efforts, the rescue teams brought out all the occupants of the ill-fated vehicle and rushed them to District Hospital Ramban, where doctors declared six of them as brought dead. Five injured persons succumbed to their injuries soon after their admission in the District Hospital raising the toll in the accident to 11.
Keeping in view the critical condition of several passengers, the District Administration approached the Indian Air Force and got eight injured airlifted to Jammu for specialized treatment in the Government Medical College and Hospital. However, three of them succumbed to injuries late in the evening further raising the death toll in the accident to 14. The condition of five injured undergoing treatment in the GMC Jammu was stated to be out of danger when reports last came in.
Twelve more injured, whose condition was also serious, were referred to Srinagar for specialized treatment and their condition was stated to be stable when reports last came in. The remaining injured passengers undergoing treatment in District Hospital Ramban were also responding to the treatment, reports said.
According to the people of Ramban, the overloading of passenger vehicles has become a routine especially after the opening of Qazigund-Banihal railway line but Traffic Police authorities were not paying any attention to check the violations.
Among the 14 deceased, 12 have been identified as Ghulam Hassan Wani, son of Lassa Wani of Saloora Ganderbal, Mehraj Din, son of Ghulam Ahmad of Soura, Moulvi Farooq Ahmed, son of Mohd Sadiq Mir of Ganderbal, Mohd Ashraf, son of Karim Baksh of Kulgam, driver Ishtiyaq Ahmed, son of Ghulam Mohd Ganai, Ghulam Ahmed, son of Ghulam Hassan Malik, Shabir Ahmed, son of Mohd Yousaf, Bashir Ahmed Bangroo, son of Ghulam Qadir Bangroo, Farooq Ahmed Mir, son of Gh Nabi Mir, Ghulam Mohd, son of Abdul Suban, Ashraf Khan, son of Asgar Ali and Ashiq Hussain, son of Mohd Ayub Bhat.
Those referred to Srinagar have been identified as Nazir Ahmed, son of Mohd Ramzan, Mohd Rashid, son of Faqir Din, Hamida Begum, wife of Ajaz Ahmed, Ajaz Ahmed, son of Ghulam Qadir, Zakir Ahmed, son of Gh Nabi Naik, Mohd Iqbal, son of Edhu Sheikh, Reyaz Ahmed, son of Gh Hassan, Mohd Amin, son of Ahmedu Naik, Mohd Afzal, son of Mohd Ramzan, Ghulam Ahmed Malik, son of Gh Hussain, Shabir Ahmed Khatana, son of Haji Mohd Ayoub and Tarlok Singh, son of Sardari Lal.
The injured admitted in GMC Jammu and District Hospital Ramban are Angrez Singh, son of Ashru of Udhampur, Maneeb Ahmed, son of Gh Qadir Khandey of Kashmir, Mohd Ramzan Khandey, son of Gh Mohd Khandey of Kulgam, Ghulam Mohd Wani, son of Ghulam Rasool of Srinagar, Ali Mohd Khan, son of Gh Mohd Khan of Budgam, Abdul Majeed Ganai, son of Akbar Ganai of Banihal, Mohd Yasir, son of Mohd Sharief Naik of Ramban, Imtiyaz Ahmed, son of Mohd Hanief of Banihal, Mohd Sadiq, son of Ab Ganaie of Ramban, Tazim, son of Farooq Ahmed Mir of Srinagar, Asfaq Hussain, son of Mohd Ayub of Ramban, Rakeela, wife of Fareed Ahmad of Udhampur, Farooq Ahmed Bali, son of Atta Mohd Bali of Banihal, Zeyan Farooq, son of Farooq Ahmed of Kanthibag, Gh Nabi, son of Gh Mohd of Srinagar, Mohan Singh, son of Mathra Dass of Ramban, Gh Rasool Wani, son of Gh Hassan, Nazir Ahmed, son of Ramzan, Tulsi Ram, son of Anant Ram, Mohd Ayaz, son of Abdul Rashid Naik and Radhe Kumar, son of Ved Parkash.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed deep grief over the road accident and conveyed his sympathy and condolence to the bereaved families. He also prayed for peace to the departed souls and early recovery of the injured.
The Chief Minister sanctioned the relief of Rs 1 lakh each for the deceased and Rs 10,000 for the hospitalized injured.
Union Minister for Health Ghulam Nabi Azad also expressed shock over the tragic road accident and prayed for speedy recovery of injured.
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