 Asif Iqbal Naik
Early Times Report
Kishtwar, Aug 21: In yet another tragic accident in Kishtwar District within 24 hours, 13 persons, including 7 of a family died after a vehicle bearing Registration No. JK17-3594 (ECO) met with an accident near Noos area of Dool some 20 KM from District Headquarter Kishtwar.
8 persons including 7 Machail Matta pilgrims lost their lives the previous day after the ill fated vehicle in which they were traveling was hit by huge boulders roll down from a landslide prone area near Kulligard on Kishtwar-Thatri stretch of Jammu-Kishtwar National Highway.
The accident as per the sources took place at around 7.30 AM when the driver of the vehicle lost control over the vehicle as a result of which it plunged into 300 meter deep gorge and submerged in mighty river Chenab.
As soon as the news of the accident reached Kishtwar town, the locals and the Police immediately rushed to the spot along with ambulances and started rescue and relief operation. After four hour long hectic operation led by SSP Kishtwar Rajinder Gupta all the 13 occupants of the vehicle were recovered from the accident site of which 12 were declared as dead on spot while a 5 year old girl died at Jammu Hospital.
The vehicle according to the police was ferrying a group of Machail Mata devotes hailing from Marmat area of Doda District and was returning from Padder to Kishtwar after Darshan at the Shrine.
Among the 13 dead, seven deceased belongs to a single family and included seven females and six males. As per police sources the deceased persons were identified as Jyoti Devi D/O Kewal Singh R/O Moti Marmat Doda, Kewal Krishan S/O Dhani Ram R/O Muthi Marmat Doda, Sanam D/O Kewal Krishan R/O Muthi Marmat Doda, Sushma D/O Kewal Krishan R/O Muthi Marmat Doda, Bhishma Devi D/O Dhani Ram R/O Muthi Marmat Doda, Sandesha Devi W/O Dev Raj R/O Muthi Marmat Doda, Badri Nath S/O Nayan Singh R/O Muthi Marmat Doda, Safeda Devi W/O Badri Nath R/o Muthi Marmat Doda, Bahadur Singh S/O Bhima R/O Melan Doda, Pushpa Devi W/O Bahadur Singh R/O Melan Doda, Danish Sheikh S/O Mehboob Sheikh R/O Banderna Kishtwar, Abu Alaa S/O Sajjad Hussain Sheikh R/O Banderna and Dev Raj S/O Dhani Ram R/O Muthi Marmat Doda.
The road at accident spot is very poor in condition, beside non installation of crash barriers all along the 65 KM Kishtwar-Padder road maintained by the GREF has become a major concern for the people traveling on this road. People believe that if the crash barriers were put in place, the precious lives could have been saved. |
