Ramban/Jammu: Five people, including four women, were killed and three others injured Tuesday when a private passenger vehicle veered off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. The vehicle was carrying mourners who were returning after attending the last rites of assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of J-K Police Ghulam Hassan who along with two junior colleagues was killed in a terrorist attack Monday evening on the outskirts of Srinagar.
The accident took place on a link road near Chuchaiter village, connecting Rajgarh with Ramban district headquarters on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, Masrat-ul-Islam informed. He said the driver lost control as a result of which the vehicle rolled down 500 feet into Chimotri nallah, resulting in on-the-spot death of five persons and injuries to three others.
One of the injured was shifted to district hospital Ramban, while two others are undergoing treatment at a nearby health facility, Islam said. He said the deceased were relatives of ASI Ghulam Hassan and were returning to their Topneel village in Doda district after attending his last rites which were performed with state honours at his Chillai-Bartund village.
The deputy commissioner himself had attended the funeral and rushed to the scene of the accident to monitor the rescue operation, officials said. They identified the deceased as driver Javed Ahmad, his wife Rubeena Begum, Raheeda Bano, Ameena Begum and Asiya Bano.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the tragic accident and said every possible assistance will be extended to the kin of the victims.
“Deeply anguished to learn about the loss of lives in a tragic road accident in Rajgarh, Ramban. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the early recovery of the injured,” Sinha said in a tweet. He directed the district administration to provide immediate relief to the next of kin of the deceased.