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| Overcrowded mini-bus goes down the gorge yet again | | | Jammu, April 25:
At least thirty four bus passengers were killed and fifteen others were injured in a road accident in the border district of Poonch on Wednesday morning.
According to reports, 34 persons including 4 infants traveling in a mini bus died and fifteen others were injured, seven among them critically, when their bus skidded off the road and fell deep in the Poonch river around 10.20 a.m near Kalai bridge in the border district of Poonch.
Seven critically injured bus passengers Murtaza Khan,Bag Hussain,Sajjad Ahmed.Mohd Shakeel,Fareeda Bi,Chengaz Khan, Rashida Bi were later airlifted to Jammu for specialized treatment.
Though the exact cause of the accident was yet to be ascertained but according to initial reports reaching here, "an ill fated bus bearing registration number JK12-1097 coming from Surankote to Poonch plunged in Poonch river when the driver of the overcrowded bus lost control over the wheels on a sharp curve".
The police officials including Dy SP operations, Sanjay Raina, Inspector Surjeet Singh, Dy SP Headquarter S K Chib, DR Mohd Shabir Chowdhary and jawans of CRPF 150 battalion and 27 Rastriya Rifles rushed to the spot and started the evacuation of the injured.
Eye witnesses told the reporters that at least 55 passengers along with baggage had boarded the mini-bus which was on way to Poonch.
As soon as the news of the accident reached Surankote market, the shops were closed and people came out on the roads worried about the well being of their relatives on way to Poonch.
A large number of locals rushed to the spot which is 14 kilo metres from Surankote town. They criticized the role of the traffic police alleging that it had failed to ensure that traffic rules and regulations are implemented on the roads in these areas.
A local resident Sanjay Gupta said that people of the area are being killed regularly as buses are rolling over from the roads into gorges.
He said that young boys are allowed to drive heavy vehicles without any check and overcrowded buses are the norm here, which result in fatal accidents.
Here it must be mentioned that this area has witnessed a number of deaths due to accidents which are a routine here.
On march 4, 2004, 42 persons were killed including 9 policemen and 35 injured in a similar accident at Loran.
On 7th march 2004, 62 persons were killed at Galli Pindi in Mandi area of Poonch.
On 15 July, 2000, a bus rolled down into a gorge at Bandi Chechiyan in Mendhar in which 45 persons were killed and 30 injured. In fact 16 persons were killed just a week earlier on 19 April when a mini-bus rolled down in Mandi area of Poonch.
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