More than 50 passengers had a narrow escape when shooting stones hit two buses they were travelling in near Assar and Raggi Nallah areas on the Batote-Kishtwar highway on Thursday afternoon, officials said.
According to an official source, two passengers and driver of a bus bearing registration number JK02AH-7187 sustained minor injuries after their bus was hit by shooting stones near Assar, 35 kms from Doda.
In a similar incident, seven-kms from Assar, another bus was hit by shooting stones at Raggi Nallah, but luckily all the passengers and the driver escaped unhurt, the source said.
In the horrific incident, the windscreen and a portion of the bus got damaged, he said.
Zuhaib Patigaroo, deputy superintendent of traffic police (Doda-Kishtwar sector), said all passengers managed to escape unhurt in both the incidents.
“We did not allow any vehicle to proceed towards Jammu from 8 am and strictly implemented the already-announced traffic advisory in view of heavy snowfall and slippery road conditions,” he said.
We have installed checkpoints at Drabshalla, Thathri and Khellani to ensure that the traffic advisory is not violated, Patigaroo said.
He said all link roads have also been closed for any kind of traffic until further orders.