In a tragic accident, 36 persons were killed and 16 others injured, when a Matador (Mini bus), they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge at Thakrie area of Keshwan in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.
According to reports, a mini bus with the capacity of 25passengers bearing registration number JK17-6787 was carrying 52 passengers wasits way from Keshwan to Kishtwar, when driver lost control on the steeringwhile negotiating a sharp curve and vehicle skidded off the road and rolleddown about 250 feet and fell into a nallah at Sirgwari(Thakrie) near KuryalPul, about 23 KM from Kishtwar town.
After receiving information about the mishap, Police, SDRF,Volunteers of Ababeel and Red Cross society along with locals rushed to thespot and started a rescue operation. Later, Army also joined the rescueoperation.
All passengers were shifted to District Hospital Kishtwar, where doctors declared 23 as brought dead while 13 more succumbed to their injuries, taking toll to 36 as the last reports came in.
An official said that 52 passengers were on board when themishap took place. Three critically injured were airlifted to GMC Jammu forfurther treatment.
Meanwhile, on the call of Traders union Kishtwar, allschools and business establishments in Kishtwar closed as a mark of condolenceand against overloading.
When contacted, DDC Kishtwar Angrez Singh Rana said,”I’m on the spot to supervise the rescue operation, the road stretch wherefatal accident took place is completely okay. According to preliminaryinvestigation, It seems to be the negligence of driver and perhaps due toovercrowded passengers resulted in the accident.”
“We have alreadyairlifted 3 seriously injured to GMC Jammu in Pavan Hans chopper, now we arewaiting for the army helicopter to shift 7 other injured to GMC,” officeradded.