Jammu: At least two people lost their lives and 15 others sustained injuries after a passenger bus veered off the road and fell into a deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district on Wednesday. According to officials, six of the injured individuals were in critical condition and had to be transferred to the Udhampur district hospital for specialized medical care.
The bus was operating on a route from Pechound to Ramnagar when the crash transpired around 8 am at Gulli Gala. The impact of the fall reduced the vehicle to a severely mangled structure.
Local villagers quickly mobilized to initiate rescue efforts, transporting the wounded passengers to the Public Health Centre located in Basantgarh. Following initial medical treatment, the victims were transferred to Ramnagar hospital, where a woman and a six-year-old girl ultimately succumbed to their injuries.
Local political figures responded to the tragedy by visiting the hospital to check on the survivors. Senior BJP leader and MLA Sunil Bhardwaj reviewed the condition of the injured and raised concerns regarding the dangerous state of the roadway where the vehicle went off track, advocating for infrastructure upgrades to guarantee safer commutes. He additionally emphasized the necessity of upgrading regional medical facilities to handle emergency situations more effectively.
Following the incident, Union Minister Jitendra Singh contacted Udhampur Deputy Commissioner Ananth Dwivedi to coordinate a response. The minister confirmed that comprehensive support was being deployed and that his office remained in continuous communication with local authorities to monitor the situation.