Adeeda, a 3-year-old girl, is lying unconscious at Disaster Ward of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) Jammu. Her maternal uncles, sitting next to her bed, are restless.
“How will we manage the child when she wakes up and ask forher parents,” they whisper to each other.
The toddler has lost mother Rukhsana Begum; father, AkhtarHussain and two brothers, one of them 45 days old and another 19-year-old inKishtwar road accident that claimed 36 lives and left 16 people injured.
“All members of the family died on the spot. Only shesurvived. We were airlifted to the hospital along with the child,” said one ofAdeeba’s uncle.
In a choked voice, he continues, “We can make other membersof our family understand the will of Allah but who will tell this innocentchild that her father and two brothers are no more.”
Left to Adeeba’s bed, Deepa Devi (20), with both legsplastered and multiple injuries in her face is being taken care of by one ofher relatives, LakshmanDass of Bathkorh, Keshwan.
Devi said the only reason for the tragic accident wasoverloading of the passenger vehicle. “When the vehicle left for Kisthwar fromKeshwan, conductor was driving it. Midway, the driver took over and lost thecontrol over the vehicle.”