Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a surge in road accidents in recent days, with tragic incidents reported from Poonch, Ramban, and Reasi districts, leaving at least nine people dead and over 50 others injured.
In the most recent accident on Tuesday, a passenger bus en route from Ghani village to Mendhar skidded off the road in Poonch district and plunged into a deep gorge. The incident occurred around 9:20 am, killing two people and injuring 44, with nine critically hurt, as confirmed by local authorities.
Block Medical Officer Dr. Ashfaq Choudhary said that all 15 ambulances in the region were immediately mobilised to the site with support from local volunteers, the police, CRPF, and the Army. Among the injured, five critically wounded passengers were referred to Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu for advanced treatment. The deceased were identified as Mohd Majeed (45) from Ghani and Noor Hussain (60) from Kasblari.
Similar Accident Took Place Few Days Ago
Just two days earlier, a fatal crash in Ramban district claimed the lives of three Army personnel when their truck, part of a military convoy traveling along National Highway 44, veered off the road and plunged into a 700-foot-deep gorge near Battery Chashma around 11:30 am on Sunday. The soldiers Sepoys Amit Kumar, Sujeet Kumar, and Man Bahadur were declared dead at the scene. Officials reported that the vehicle was completely mangled due to the impact.
Emergency rescue efforts in the Ramban crash included personnel from the Army, police, SDRF, and local villagers, though no lives could be saved.
Adding to the tragic tally, March witnessed two more deadly accidents in the region. In Ramban, a load carrier transporting vegetables crashed into a gorge near Battery Chashma, killing driver Arshid Ahmad and helper Seva Singh, both in their 30s. They were returning to Ukhral Pogal-Paristan when the vehicle lost control and fell several hundred feet down a ravine. A joint rescue team of police and civilians later retrieved their bodies.
Accident Took Place in Reasi District Killing 4 and Injring 8
In another March accident, Reasi district saw four people killed and eight injured when a tempo traveller skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in the Gangode area. One person died en route to the hospital, while three died on the spot. The injured were taken to a local hospital after a swift response from the SDRF and police.
The string of accidents has reignited concerns about road safety in Jammu and Kashmir’s hilly districts, where narrow, winding roads combined with poor infrastructure and frequent vehicle overloading create deadly conditions. Locals and officials alike are urging stronger preventive measures to avoid further loss of life on these treacherous routes.
