Safety of road users being compromised on NH
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, May 16: Two persons including a dumper driver were killed, seven others injured and at least nine vehicles including two trucks and an oil tanker were damaged when sudden landslides hit Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Ramban area this evening.
Official sources told the Excelsior that highway near Cafeteria Morh in Ramban was blocked since 2 pm today due to landslides and frequent shooting stones, as the road widening work was also in progress simultaneously in this stretch. A large number of vehicles had been stranded on both sides of the highway in Ramban area.
At around 6 pm, the highway was partially restored at this point and there was very slow movement of vehicles on the highway. Many vehicles loaded with essentials and some people freed from quarantine centres in Samba and Kathua also remained stranded for over three-four hours. Then suddenly fresh land- slides took place at another location, at Seri near petrol pump about 2.5 km ahead of Ramban where four dumpers loading Mulba, a loader/ machine, two trucks, an oil tanker and a load carrier/ Auto were extensively damaged.
A machine was totally buried under the debris. An operator of the dumper died on the spot while another was said to be buried along with a machine/ JCB, whereas, seven others sustained injuries. The rescue operation was in progress when the last reports came in.
Locals of the area said that two machines of a private local contractor engaged on the road widening work, were operational when the mishap occurred. The agency had made a narrow approach road on the hill side for road widening and dumpers loading. Then suddenly, the loose rocks and boulders from the hill side fell down on the vehicles and dumpers down on the highway, causing extensive damage. The highway was again blocked. Two machine operators and some workers sensing trouble escaped from the spot.
Immediately after the incident, SHO Ramban, Insp Sunil Sharma, DySP Traffic and some officers from the district administration reached the spot. The police, SDRF men and Red Cross volunteers besides workers of the company launched rescue operation. While one person was killed on the spot, one went missing whereas. Seven others injured were admitted to District Hospital, Ramban.
SSP Traffic, National Highway J S Johar said that since noon there was problem in Cafeteria Morh area of the road stretch as road remained blocked there for several hours due to falling of boulders. But at Seri, on other end of Ramban town, fresh land slides took place at around 6. 40 pm causing damage to at least 7-8 vehicles and killing one person on the spot. One was said to be missing. He said the injured were shifted to Ramban hospital immediately and rescue operation was in progress till late in the evening. He said till now, it was hard to tell about the exact number of fatal casualties. But as per the people on the spot their number could be around 2 to 3. He said SHO Ramban and some Traffic Police officials were on the spot monitoring rescue operation.
SHO, Ramban who was on the spot told the Excelsior that a dumper driver was identified as Raj Kumar, a resident of Darmund village near Batote while, helper- Khalid of Sangaldan, as per company workers, was missing along with a JCB. He said after tough efforts by rescue team, amidst shooting stones, his body was also traced at around 11 pm. Both the bodies were shifted to the mortuary of Ramban hospital.
He further disclosed that most of the vehicles trapped there were cleared by 10.30 pm while a JCB was still under partially trapped under the debris. The highway was also restored around 11.30 pm.
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