Jammu, May 06: Four people, including a security personnel, lost their lives and 44 others were injured when a private passenger bus veered off the road and fell into a deep gorge in the border district of Poonch.
The ill-fated bus was travelling from Ghani village to Mendhar when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to plunge into the gorge.
Among the injured, seven passengers are said to be in critical condition. Five of them have been shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Jammu for specialized treatment.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the mishap, while rescue and relief operations were swiftly launched by local administration and security forces.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed deep sorrow over the incident and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
In his condolence message, the Lieutenant Governor stated, “Pained by the loss of lives due to the tragic road accident in Poonch. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. I pray for a speedy recovery of those injured in the accident.”
The Lieutenant Governor extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and assured all necessary assistance to the injured.
Meanwhile, Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, today visited the Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri to enquire about the health of the passengers injured in the tragic bus accident that occurred at Ghani in the Mendhar area.
During his visit, the Minister interacted with the injured patients and assured them of all possible support for their treatment and speedy recovery. He directed the Medical Superintendent and the hospital staff to provide the best possible medical care and extend every necessary assistance to the victims.
The Minister was accompanied by Additional District Development Commissioner Rajouri, Dr. Raj Kumar Thapa, along with other district and sectoral officers.
Expressing deep concern over the rising number of road accidents in the Pir Panjal region, the Minister called for urgent and concrete measures to enhance road safety. He emphasised the need to improve road infrastructure across the hilly and accident-prone areas. He asked for strengthening driver training and licensing systems, strict enforcement of traffic regulations, regular inspection of commercial and passenger vehicles, launch of targeted public awareness campaigns on road safety, and detailed data analysis of past accidents to identify and address key risk factors.