J&K: 5 dead after mini-bus falls into gorge in Kathua
At least five individuals lost their lives, and more than 15 others sustained multiple injuries after a mini-bus drifted off the road and fell inside a deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district. As per the local cops, the crash happened after the private mini-bus driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle while moving through a blind curve.
Four passengers died on the spot: Report
According to reports from the news agency PTI, the bus was headed from Mondli village to Dhanu Parole village, and the accident site is reported to be near Billawar's Sila village. The rescuers found four passengers, including a 60-year-old lady, dead on the spot. Meanwhile, 16 others were shifted to a nearby hospital with injuries, where one succumbed to severe injuries.
Visuals of the accident site
IMD forecasts heavy snowfall
The recent heavy snowfall in the mountains has made the roads around India's hilly areas dangerously slippery. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also released a notification regarding the snowfall, and the authority is doing its best to avoid any eventualities. The weather office has predicted heavy snowfall in the state in the coming few days as well.
380 roads closed due to snowfall
The state has moved to close around 380 roads due to the recent snowfall, while the district administrators are keeping a close eye on the operation of essential services across the state. Furthermore, the district administration has also alerted about the skiddy roads and asked travelers to be extra careful while traveling through the hilly areas.
Three soldiers die after falling into gorge in J&K's Kupwara
Last week, two personnel of the Chinar Corps and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) died after a vehicle of the Indian Army skidded into a deep gorge while it was on its way to patrol the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K's Kupwara district. As per reports, the accident happened in the Machil sector when they were on their way for an operation task.
J&K reported over 5,000 road crashes until December 2022
As per the government data, Jammu and Kashmir reported 5,189 road accident incidents last year. In these, a total of 677 lost their lives and 7,152 people suffered injuries. Of the total accidents reported in until December 2022, 4,644 were non-fatal and 545 were fatal.
