Irked relatives of victims stage protest, damage ambulance
*Another tragic accident on dreaded roads of mountainous Kishtwar
Sanjeev K Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 4: In yet another tragic road accident on the dreaded roads of mountainous Kishtwar district, two workers engaged with a power project have lost their lives while 12 others were injured when the vehicle they all were onboard skidded off the road and landed in a deep gorge in Dangdoor area this evening.
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The ill fated passenger vehicle of Trax Cruiser make bearing registration number 6576-JK17 was on way to the project site carrying night shift workers from Ikhala and en-route it veered off the road, rolled down and landed in a gorge near the mighty Chenab River in Dachhan area.
Eyewitnesses informed that the vehicle fell into the gorge making a loud thud which prompted all those nearby to rush the spot and start rescue operation.
Within no time cops also joined the rescue operation and shifted the injured to District Hospital Kishtwar but two persons had already died on the accident spot.
Soon Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kishtwar, Rajesh Kumar Shavan and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kishtwar, Javed Iqbal along with other senior officers rushed to the hospital to monitor the situation.
Noting the senior officers from district administration, the irked relatives of the accident victims and others started protest and raised slogans against the administration for having failed to take preventive measures to avoid such repeated accidents in the area.
They also claimed that the company engaged in the power project was using outdated vehicle to ferry the workers.
The charged protesters also damaged the ambulance vehicle of the company involved in the power project which had brought the injured to the hospital.
Deceased in the accident were identified as Arslan Sheikh, 26, son of Mohd Abdullah Sheikh, resident of Palmar and Hilal Ahmed Lone, 23, son of Farooq Ahmed Lone, resident of Patimahal Palmar.
The injured were identified as Mansoor Ahmed, 36, son of Gh Hussain, resident of Palmar; Yasir Hussain, 27, son of Mushtaq Ahmed, resident of Palmar; Gulfam Khanday, 28, son of Gh Nabi Khanday, resident of Palmar; Bagh Hussain, 35, son of Mohd Yousaf, resident of Pattimahal, Palmar; Ashok Kumar, 45, son of Doulat Ram, resident of Wassar Palmar; Rahul, 27, son of Kunj Lal, resident of Palmar; Pardeep Kumar, 37, son of Sham Lal, resident of Karoor Dachan; Vinay Kumar, 35, son of Bal Krishan, resident of Wasse Palmar; Kewal Krishan, 36, son of Rajinder Kumar, resident of Dachhan; Manoj Kumar, 45, son of Shiv Prakash, resident of Ikhala; Masood Ahmed Khanday, son of Abdul Aziz Khanday, resident of Chamlie Palmar and Alam Ahmed Geer, 35, son of Bashir Ahmed Sheikh, resident of Cherhar, Kishtwar.
The injured were undergoing treatment at District Hospital Kishtwar while seven of them being critical were referred to Government Medical College (GMC) Doda and GMC Jammu.
Sources informed that one critically injured accident victim was referred to GMC Doda and six to Jammu.
Being busy in pacifying the protesters, SSP Kishtwar could not talk much but he informed that two persons were killed and 12 others were injured in the accident.
It is pertinent to mention here that maximum number of road accidents take place in Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Union MoS in PMO, Dr. Jitendra Singh has expressed shock over the mishap.
In a post on X (earlier Twitter), he wrote: “Just now spoke to DC #Kishtwar, Rajesh Kumar Shavan after receiving the news of an unfortunate accident of cruiser in Dangdoor area. Two casualties reported. More updates awaited. Meanwhile, rescue operation has started. My office is in constant touch. All required help will be provided.”
Police has registered a case in this regard and started investigation.
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