In a tragic incident on Thursday, a bus carrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh?s Hathras fell into a deep gorge in the Akhnoor area of Jammu district, resulting in the deaths of at least 22 people, including nine women and two children. Additionally, 57 others were injured.
Inspector Tariq Ahmed, station house officer of Akhnoor police station, reported that the accident occurred around 12:35 pm at Tungi Morh, 12 km from Akhnoor, on the Jammu-Poonch national highway. The pilgrims were en route to the Shiv Khori shrine, dedicated to Lord Shiva, near Reasi town, which is 50 km away.
?We are not yet clear about the total number of passengers on the bus?. We are currently in the midst of rescue operations,? Ahmed stated.
Dr. Saleem Khan, the block medical officer of Akhnoor sub-division, confirmed that 22 people had died and 57 others were injured. ?A majority of the injured have been transferred to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Jammu, while some are being treated at the sub-district hospital in Akhnoor,? Dr. Khan added.
Inspector Ahmed suggested that the driver might have been drowsy. ?At the turn, the bus rolled down approximately 150 to 200 feet into the gorge,? he said.
A witness, who joined the local residents in the rescue efforts, mentioned that the bus was approaching the curve at a high speed and subsequently fell into the gorge.
?A bus carrying passengers from Hathras, Uttar Pradesh has met with an accident near Tanda, Akhnoor in Jammu. Rescue operations are underway,? stated Jammu Deputy Commissioner Sachin Kumar Vaishya in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
