10 Vaishno Devi pilgrims killed, 63 hurt as bus rolls down gorge at Jhajjar Kotli in Jammu district

Our Correspondent

Jammu, May 30

Ten persons, including five women and a child, were killed and 63 others injured when the bus they were travelling in fell into a gorge on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway at Jhajjar Kotli in Jammu district on Tuesday.

All deceased belonged to Bihar and were travelling from Amritsar to Katra, base camp of Vaishno Devi, when the bus met with an accident. As per the investigation by the police, the bus driver, identified as Ganesh, might have fallen asleep or the bus was speeding near a bridge due to which it rammed into the railing and rolled down the gorge.

A rescue operation was immediately started by the CRPF and local residents and injured were sent to Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu. Three of the victims were critical. There were over 70 passengers, including driver, in the bus. The police have said the bus was overcrowded. Locals said the bus turned turtle before falling into the gorge.

Dr Shashi Sudan Sharma, principal, GMC, said the condition of some of the victims was critical.

Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh also visited the GMC.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha approved Rs 5 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for those seriously injured. He directed the district administration to provide all assistance to the bereaved families.

Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta directed the GMC to provide the best treatment to the injured.

Bihar CM announces Rs 2 lakh relief

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the death of pilgrims from Bihar and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of victims. PTI

All belonged to extended family from Bihar

Amritsar: All victims of the bus accident belonged to a family from Lakhisarai of Bihar. Some of them worked in Amritsar and resided at Preet Avenue. They were visiting a relative in Amritsar to attend a function. They later decided to visit Vaishno Devi for the ‘mundan’ of nine-year-old Himanshu and two-and-a-half-year-old Tanya. TNS

Extremely unfortunate: President

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said the death of pilgrims in a bus accident in Jammu was extremely unfortunate and offered her deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. PTI

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