Two persons were found dead inside a vehicle (Tata mobile) under mysterious circumstances at Banihal along Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Sunday, police said. Among the two included the driver of the vehicle.
Police said that the duo was found unconscious in the vehicle bearing registration number JK09B-7358, which was stranded on the highway that was closed due to snowfall on Saturday.
The duo was rushed to the Sub District Hospital Banihal at 12-10 pm where the doctors declared them as brought dead.
Police identified the deceased as Shabir Ahmed Mir, 32, son of Abdul Rasheed Mir, and Majid Ahmed, 35 son of Gulzar Ahmed, both residents of Hasrat Mohalla, Kralpora, Kupwara, Kashmir.
Soon after the news of the incident spread, the passengers and the drivers stranded on the highway due to snowfall staged a protest demonstration against authorities at T-Chowk Banihal.
They raised slogans against the government and the traffic police blaming them for the death of the duo. They alleged that the traffic police had stopped the vehicles at isolated places between Banihal and Nowgam sector of the highway in harsh weather.
They said the incident could not have happened, if the authorities permitted the stranded vehicles through the newly constructed Qazigund tunnel.
After conducting post-mortem and other legal formalities at Sub District Hospital Banihal, the bodies were handed over to their relatives for last rites.
A doctor at the Sub District Hospital Banihal on condition of anonymity told Greater Kashmir that prima facie it appears that the duo had died due to extreme cold. “However, the actual cause of death can be ascertained only after post-mortem report is received,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner Mussarat Islam and SSP Hasseb Ur Rehman also visited Banihal.