J&K: 38 killed, 18 injured as bus falls in 300-feet-deep gorge in Doda

Srinagar: Thirty eight persons were killed, and 18 others injured when the bus they were travelling in skidded off a hilly road and fell in a 300-feet-deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s eastern Doda district on Wednesday. The officials said that the death toll might go up as the condition of, at least, four injured passengers is stated to be “very critical.”

Doda’s Deputy Commissioner, Harvinder Singh, said, “Four critically injured persons were referred to the Government Medical College Hospital Jammu and have been evacuated there in an air ambulance.”

The ill-fated bus bearing registration number JK02CN-6555 was on its way to Jammu from the eastern town of Kishtwar and the mishap occurred at a place called Assar, about 175-km northeast of the winter capital.

Initial reports said that the driver of the bus with 56 people on board lost control over it while he was negotiating a sharp curve. However, Mr. Singh said, “Apparently, the bus was not being driven properly and that’s why we see it having fallen in the gorge on the wrong side. The bus has jumped the two newly installed crash barriers and parapets at the spot. We have launched an inquiry into this most tragic accident. Our hearts go out to the bereaved”.

The DC said that the body identification of most of the victims has been done. “We sought help from their families too in this,” he added. The driver of the bus is among those killed in the mishap, the official said.

The officials said that a rescue operation was launched in the area jointly by the J&K police and other uniformed forces and J&K State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) soon after hearing about the mishap. “With the help of volunteers, we quickly took the injured out of the 300-feet-deep gorge and shifted them to nearby health facilities including the district hospital at Doda,” a police officer said over the phone.

He added that excessive speed could be the cause of the accident. As confirmed by Mr. Singh the police have, during the preliminary investigation, found the fitness certificate, insurance and other essential documents of the bus valid and, therefore, it was fit for being driven in the area.

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and Home Minister, Amit Shah, J&K Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, and several other government functionaries and leaders of various political parties have expressed grief over the tragic accident and expressed their sympathies with the bereaved families and the injured.

"The bus accident in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir is distressing. My condolences to the families who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest,” the Prime Minister said in a post on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter). He announced that ex-gratia of ₹ 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased, and ₹ 50,000 to each of the injured.

Home Minister Mr. Shah wrote on ‘X’, “Deeply anguished to learn about the loss of precious lives due to a tragic bus accident at Doda, Jammu and Kashmir. The local administration is conducting the rescue operation in the gorge where the bus had the accident. My heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured.”

Mr. Sinha in a statement issued in Jammu said, “Extremely pained by the loss of lives in a tragic bus accident in Assar, Doda. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and am wishing for a speedy recovery of those injured in the accident”. He added that he has directed the Divisional Commissioner of Jammu and Doda district administration “to provide all necessary assistance to affected persons.”

Meanwhile, the J&K administration has announced that ₹ 5 lakh will be given to the next of kin of each deceased person and ₹ 1 lakh to the injured. “Ex-gratia of ₹ 5 lakh each would be given to the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the unfortunate bus accident in Assar, Doda. ₹ 1 lakh would be given to those injured,” Lt. Governor Mr. Sinha said in another statement issued here. He reiterated that his administration would provide every possible assistance to affected families.