Taxi was carrying patient to SKIMS
Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, May 5: Three persons were killed while one went missing when a car rolled down about 300 feet deep gorge from snow clad slippery road, near Chattapani on Mughal Road last night.
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Official sources said that due to sudden snowfall on Mughal road on Monday, many vehicles were stranded, which were later rescued after snow clearance work. It was today informed by the family of a commercial Maruti Swift vehicle bearing registration number JK12D-9578, that they are unable to contact their family member, who had left for SKIMS, Srinagar along with a patient from Poonch and two others.
The police came to know about the missing vehicle and the driver besides passengers and started search operation along the Mughal Road at around 12 noon. The rescue and search operation was also joined by the SDRF, Civil Administration, Army and locals during noon. It was suspected that the vehicle might have skidded off the slippery road due to snowfall.
SSP Poonch, Showkat Bhat said that as the mobile phone of one of the deceased persons was working, then with the help of tower location, the vehicle and the bodies could be traced. The teams were searching for the vehicle along the slippery stretch of the road. The mobile phone of the driver was switched off besides two others.
Bhat said that two bodies were recovered from the deep gorge, third was traced, trapped in the middle of the steep portion of the mountain near Chattapani. It was very difficult to reach there. The fourth person could not be traced till now. He said due to darkness the operation was suspended in the evening and it will be resumed Wednesday morning.
Sub Divisional Magistrate Surankote, Farooq Khan Nazki who also visited the site said that the mobile number of a deceased Abdul Majeed was working even after accident which proved helpful in tracing the vehicle in a deep Nallah near Chattapani after about two hours’ search operation.
Two bodies were initially recovered which were shifted to SDH Surankote, while one body has been traced, trapped at very tough and deep gorge, the rescue team could not reach there. He said the vehicle has been torn-apart and turned into a wreckage.
The officials have identified the deceased whose bodies have been recovered as Abdul Majeed (32), son of Muneer Hussain, resident of Mangnar, Poonch; Shouket Hussain (Driver, 33 yrs), son of Mohd Iqbal, resident of Hari Budha. The deceased whose body has been traced but could not be recovered due to darkness and un-accessible spot, was later identified as Akbar Hussain (70), son of Ghulam Haider, resident of Mangnar, while the body of his son- Mohd Bashir (45) is still missing. BMO Surankote Dr Yousuf said that the two bodies were handed over to families after performing the postmortem and other legal formalities this evening.
A Defence spokesman said that after receiving information about the accident near Chattapani Indian Army’s 16 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), initiated a systematic and extensive search operation along the designated route and adjoining areas. During the course of the search, it was ascertained that the vehicle had veered off the road and plunged into a deep gorge near Ratta Chamb.
A coordinated search and recovery operation was immediately launched by the joint teams. So far, two deceased individuals have been recovered. One Akbar Hussain’s body stuck between stones at very tough mountain slope while one individual, Mohd Bashir remains missing, and sustained efforts are underway to locate him.
In connection with the incident, the Police have registered a case and initiated further investigation to ascertain the exact circumstances leading to the accident.
The operation continues with full coordination between J&K Police, Army’s 16 Rashtriya Rifles, and the civil administration. All necessary procedures related to evacuation, identification, and investigation are being carried out, he added.
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