Jammu: At least nine to 10 passengers were injured after a bus veered off the road and rolled into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district on Wednesday. The injured were taken to a hospital in Ramnagar for treatment. No deaths were reported in the incident, according to officials.
The accident took place at Gulli Gula in the Latti-Basantgarh tehsil. The bus was travelling from Pachiound to Ramnagar when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to skid off the road and fall into the gorge.
Officials said all the injured passengers were shifted to Ramnagar District Hospital. Police have taken cognisance of the incident.
Local Residents Help Rescue Passengers
Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and Udhampur MP Dr Jitendra Singh said he had spoken to Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Ananth Dwivedi after receiving information about the accident.
In a post on X, Singh said local residents had helped evacuate the passengers before the rescue operation progressed. He added that a rescue team had reached the spot and that nine to 10 injured passengers were being shifted to the Sub-District Hospital in Ramnagar.
Singh said no casualties had been reported at the time of his update. He also assured that necessary assistance was being provided and that his office was in contact with the district administration.
The prompt response from local residents helped in the evacuation of passengers as rescue teams reached the accident site.
Hilly Roads Pose Safety Challenges
Road accidents remain a concern in the mountainous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, where narrow roads, sharp bends and steep slopes can make driving difficult. Poor road conditions and damaged or missing safety barriers can add to the risks, particularly on stretches running alongside deep gorges.
Over-speeding, loss of vehicle control and overloading are other factors that can contribute to accidents involving passenger vehicles in hilly areas. Rain, fog and landslides can also make road conditions more hazardous.
However, the precise cause of Wednesday’s accident has not been established in the information available so far. Officials said the driver lost control before the bus skidded off the road.
Police have taken cognisance of the incident. Further details about the injured passengers and the circumstances leading to the accident were not immediately available.