Jammu: At least 30 passengers, including many students, were injured on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district when an overloaded minibus overturned on the road.

Two Students Airlifted for Specialised Treatment
Officials said the bus was overloaded and went out of the driver’s control, overturning on the road in Rajouri.

“Nearly 30 passengers were injured, while two critically injured students were airlifted to Jammu for specialised treatment after doctors at the Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri referred them to Jammu.

Senior civil and police officers, including the deputy commissioner, DIG and SSP Rajouri, went to GMC Rajouri to find out the status of the injured passengers,” the officials said.

Overloading and Overspeeding Cited as Primary Causes

“The primary cause of the accident appears to be overloading and overspeeding by the driver of the mini bus. Police have lodged an FIR into the incident and started an investigation,” the officials added.

Recently, six tourists were injured in a road accident in the Sonamarg hill station of Ganderbal district in Kashmir. The tourists were injured in a collision between two vehicles on the Srinagar-Leh national highway.

Recurring Accidents in Hilly Districts
Road rage, overloading, overspeeding and bad road conditions in the hilly districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar and Reasi are the main causes of fatal accidents in these areas.

Traffic department officials have deputed teams in these accident-prone areas to check overloading, overspeeding, road rage and similar violations of rules.

Authorities Warn Violators and Intensify Enforcement
The Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) of Jammu and Kashmir divisions have warned violators of serious punishments, including cancellation of driving licences, registration certificates and imprisonment.

In case of vehicles driven by minors, parents are liable to be imprisoned, including the cancellation of registration of such vehicles.

Petrol refilling stations have been instructed not to provide fuel to two-wheelers driven by persons not wearing the mandatory helmets.

Awareness and Counselling Measures Initiated
In addition to punitive action, the traffic department has been counselling drivers on the road against violations of traffic rules.

Local religious preachers and opinion leaders have also been advising people against violations of traffic regulations.