Preliminary inquiry into the Kishtwar accident in which at least 36 persons were killed and 16 others injured, has revealed that the cause of the accident was negligence on the part of the driver and the bad road condition.
The accident occurred on Monday morning when an overloadedmatador skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge at Thakrie area ofKeshwan in Kishtwar district of Jammu division. At least 36 passengers in thematador died and 16 others were injured in the accident.
“The preliminary inquiry has revealed the negligence on thepart of the driver and the dilapidated condition of the area,” TransportCommissioner, Dr S P Vaid, told Greater Kashmir.
He said that Additional Transport Commissioner, RTO andother officials from Kishtwar district visited the accident site. “These are their preliminary findings.”
He said the road in the area is narrow and has beenconstructed under PMGSY. “The road is in very bad condition without having anyprotection bunds,” he said.
Vaid said that although he had ordered inquiry into theaccident initially, “the government too issued orders for through probe intothe accident.”
“I too will visit the accident site for through probe intothe accident.”
The inquiry, according to the officials, will look into thereasons for the accident, fix responsibility, if any, and suggest measures tobe taken to prevent recurrence of such accidents in Kishtwar.
The J&K government had last year introduced the Jammuand Kashmir Road Safety Council Bill, 2018, advocating the formation of a StateRoad Safety Council. According to the bill, the proposed council will beresponsible for ensuring road safety across the state and will advise the stategovernment on transport safety measures.