Ramban, June 5: Five persons were killed and one more sustained injuries after a Jammu-bound vehicle they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into Bislari Nullah at Digdool on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Saturday morning. Among the dead were a girl, a CRPF man and an IRP personnel.
Police said that the driver of the vehile—Innova car bearing registration number JK02 BA-1707 en route Jammu from Srinagar— lost control over it due to rash and negligent driving near Digdool.
The vehicle, they said, skidded off the road and fell several hundred feet down Bislari Nullah. “Four persons died on the spot while another succumbed during his shifting to the hospital. One more person sustained injuries,” police said. All the persons were thrown out of the vehicle before it fell into Bislari Nullah.
Soon after the incident, police, army and civil administration rushed to the spot and after hectic efforts retrieved the bodies. The injured was shifted to district hospital Ramban.
The dead were identified as Garu Ram (driver) son of Hans Raj of Talab Tillo Jammu; Vaneet Kour daughter of JP Singh of Gupkar Srinagar; Shagun Kumar (head constable 5-SIG 73 battalion CRPF) of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh; Sanjeev Kumar (follower 16th battalion IRP) son of Rikhi Ram of Pouni Reasi; and Mohammad Rafiq son of Lal Ud Din Gujjar of Balkoot Uri, Baramullah Kashmir.
The injured was identified as Ajeet Kumar (of 3rd battalion IRP) son of Kuldeep Kumar of Billawar Kathua.
All the five bodies are in the mortuary of district hospital Ramban and kin of the deceased have been informed, police said. “However, arrangements are being made to shift the body of CRPF man to his native place in Kangara, Himachal Pradesh,” they said.
A case FIR 93/2021 under law has been registered at Police Station Ramban, SP Ramban PD Nitya said.
The road remains prone to accidents while shooting stones have consumed many precious lives in the accidents in last several years.
.”The condition of the road is so bad that it is virtually impossible for the vehicles to ply,” said a sumo driver Muhammad Saleem.
He said even a small downpour or light snowfall leads to the closure of the road and the passengers get stuck en-route for days together.
“The previous winter we witnessed many ambulances carrying the dead bodies to the valley stranded on the highway for several days. Hope this time the condition of the road is improved to avert such tragedies” said Muhammad Shams a local from Banihal..
It may be mentioned that landslides have been a major concern on the highway due to which the highway- considered to be the lifeline of the valley either remains mostly closed or operates only for one way traffic for a major part of the year
The closure results in depleting stocks of the essential commodities and steep hike in prices of essential food grains routed to the valley through this road only
The stretch is also dotted with potholes and ditches making the journey of the commuters traveling on the highway arduous besides leading to frequent traffic jams.
The highway widening work was started in 2011 and it was targeted to be completed within five years from its commencement
The four- laning of the highway would cut the distance between Srinagar to Jammu by 50 Kilometres and reduce the traveling time from nine hours to four hours.
It would also ensure that the treacherous points of the Highways are avoided.
Pertinently, the four- laning project of Srinagar-Jammu highway (NH44) has been divided into six sub-projects, which include widening of Srinagar- Qazigund road (67.7 km), Qazigund-Banihal road (15.25 km), Banihal-Ramban road (36 km), Ramban-Udhampur road (43 km), Chenani-Nashri (9.2 km) and Jammu-Udhampur (65 km).