* Cops shift responsibility despite Governor’s concern
Excelsior Correspondent
—Excelsior/Parvez
JAMMU, May 20: In a heartrending road accident, probably the first ever of its kind during the current year, 17 persons lost their lives and 34 others sustained injuries, 17 of them severely when a bus, they were travelling in, rolled down into over 100 meter deep gorge at Digdol on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway at around 2.20 last night. The tragedy took place due to the negligence of driver, who escaped the accident with minor injuries, and could not be traced and put behind bars till late tonight.
Though the Governor, N N Vohra, who is repeatedly stressing upon the authorities concerned with traffic management to take every possible step to check such ghastly accidents and regretted that the authorities had still not effectively enforced the strict measures required to reduce the recurring fatal road accidents, nobody was ready to own the responsibility of the accident despite the fact that vehicle was carrying passengers beyond the seating capacity.
While Traffic Police said that it has nothing to do with the overloading or other violations after 8 pm and cops deployed at Police Stations have a greater role to play in checking the violations during night hours, the cops in Khakhi said that their job was primarily to check law and order and Traffic Police was just trying to shift the responsibility.
According to the reports, the ill-fated bus bearing registration number JK02AJ-3547 of Karan Travels left General Bus Stand Jammu for Srinagar at 8 pm when the Traffic Police claims its role to check violations seizes to be in operation. The vehicle having seating capacity of 42 was carrying 51 passengers.
When it reached Digdol under the jurisdiction of Ramban Police Station at around 2.20 am, the vehicle went out of the driver’s control and rolled down into over 100 meter deep gorge. The negligence of the driver was responsible for the tragic accident as the road was straight and wide enough at the spot from where it rolled down.
Moreover, some of the injured passengers said that driver was using mobile when accident took place while others claimed that driver was feeling sleepy, which was the reason behind vehicle running out of his control. The driver Mohd Tariq of Ramsoo jumped out of the vehicle soon after it went off the road and escaped the accident with minor injuries. Instead of informing police about the accident, he acted in most immoral manner and escaped from the spot. He remained absconding and could not be traced till late tonight.
The vehicle collided with several boulders and huge trees while rolling down in the gorge as a result of which it got badly damaged and all the occupants sustained severe injuries. The badly mangled parts of the ill-fated bus were seen scattered at different places on the slopes of the gorge.
Sarpanch of Digdol Piara Singh, who is residing near the accident spot and heard the loud cries of the passengers, immediately rang up Ramban Police Station and informed about the accident. Within 15 minutes, Police and Army personnel along with State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams reached the spot and started rescue operation. Some locals too extended support to these teams in the operation.
After hectic efforts, all the injured passengers were brought out of the gorge by 7.30 in the morning while as recovery of dead bodies continued till afternoon as some of the passengers were badly trapped under the vehicle. The rescue operation was called off at 12.30 pm following the recovery of all the dead bodies and injured passengers.
Keeping in view the critical condition of large number of passengers, the district administration approached the Army for airlifting them to Jammu. Accordingly, IAF chopper was pressed into service and 17 critically injured passengers were airlifted to Jammu and then admitted in Government Medical College and Hospital. Their condition was stated to be out of danger when reports last came in. Five less severely injured passengers were, later, shifted to Jammu via road and they were too responding to the treatment. The others remained admitted in the District Hospital Ramban.
An officer of the Traffic Police, when approached to ascertain why the overloading remained unnoticed, said, on the condition of anonymity, “normally Traffic Police doesn’t remain on the roads after 8 pm as such they cannot be held responsible for the violation”, adding “all the Police Stations have been issued challan books and they are supposed to check the traffic rules violations more particularly after 8 pm”.
However, an officer in Khakhi uniform, claimed that cops deployed at Police Stations have nothing to do with the traffic rules violations. “The cops in blue have only been shifting the responsibility”, he added.
The shifting of responsibilities is notwithstanding the fact that spokesperson of the Raj Bhavan has noted the Governor’s regret that all the authorities concerned with traffic management had still not effectively enforced the strict measures required to reduce the recurring fatal road accidents.
The Governor has expressed grief over the loss of 17 precious human lives in the accident and has conveyed his sympathy to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of all those who have been injured in this ghastly accident.
Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has also expressed deep grief over the loss of lives in the accident and conveyed his solidarity and sympathy to the bereaved families. He prayed for peace to the departed souls and early recovery of the injured.
He directed the concerned health authorities and district administration to provide all possible medical treatment and help to the injured.
Meanwhile, Minister of Planning Ajay Sadhotra and MoS Home Sajad Ahmed Kichloo reached District Hospital Ramban for taking stock of the treatment and other facilities provided to the accident victims.
The Ministers interacted with the injured passengers and asked about the treatment being provided to them and announced Chief Minister’s relief of Rs One Lakh to each deceased and Rs 10,000 to each injured in the accident.
Earlier, District Administration under the guidance of DC Ramban M H Malik comprising ACR and Tehsildar Ramban rushed on the spot for rescue operations.
Out of 17 persons, who lost their lives in the accident, only 12 have been identified while as five others remained unidentified till late tonight.
The identity of 12 has been established as Sonia, daughter of Sunil Kumar of Jalandhar, Radha Devi, wife of Rajinder Kumar of Taran Taran, Roma Begum, wife of Sujan Khan of Rani Bagh, Jammu, Shardha Devi, wife of Ashok Kumar of Rajasthan, Krishan Lal, son of Manga Singh and Dil Sukh, son of Manga Lal, both the residents of Taran Taran, Ramiz Khan, son of Mohd Khalil of Sakhi Maidan Poonch, constable Mohd Ayoub, son of Gh Hassan Malik of Anantnag, Shahzad, son of Mohd Saraj of Jharkhand, Kulwant Singh, son of Vakil Singh of Vijaypur, Murtaza, son of Mohd Qasim of Poonch and Vijay Kumar, son of Ashok Kumar of Rajasthan.
Those shifted to GMC are Manoj Kumar, son of Darshan Kumar of Gujarat, Mukesh Kumar and Sahil Kumar, sons of Kishore Lal of Taran Taran, Parshotam Lal, son of Kaku Ram of Akhnoor, Arshad Ahmed, son of Liaqat Hussain of Jharkhand, Lalu Mazi, son of Hira Mazi of Bihar, Ruksar Ahmad, son of Mohd Amir of Poonch, Najib-Ullah, son of Alam Din of Jharkhand, Mohd Aslam, son of Nisar Ahmad of Poonch, Anwal-ul-Haq, son of Abdul Haq of Poonch, Mohd Ashif, son of Mohd Akbar of Poonch, Ashok Kumar, son of Lal Chnd of Akhnoor, Mohd Wasiq, son of Mohd Mukhtar of Jharkhand, Omkar Singh, son of Janak Singh of Ramban, Natwar Lal, son of Kashu Ram of Punjab, Rajinder Kumar, son of Chandu Lal of Jalandhar, Kishore, son of Mool Chand of Punjab, Sabla Devi, wife of Kishore of Punjab, Umesh Kumar of Bihar, Mohd Zar, son of Abdul Abas of Bihar, Romesh Lal, son of Kishore Lal of Gujarat and Shakeel Ahmad, son of Sayeed Mohd of Poonch.
The injured admitted in District Hospital Ramban are Sujan Khan, son of Jahangir Khan of Rani Bagh, Jammu, Rahim Khan, son of Sujan Khan of Satwari, Rohit Sharma, son of Sham Lal of Akhnoor, Sunil Kumar, son of Rajinder Kumar of Punjab, Vicky Sharma, son of Ashok Kumar Sharma of Akhnoor, Mohd Asgar, son of Mohd Rafiq of Jharkhand, Mohd Iqbal, son of Abdul Aziz of Poonch, Imran Ansari, son of Mohd Saraj of Jharkhand, Anil Kumar, son of Natwar Lal of Punjab, Vikram, son of Kishore Kumar of Patiala, Kishore Kumar, son of Shanker Dass of Taran Taran.
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