Daijiworld Media Network - Udhampur

Udhampur, Oct 21: At least two people were killed and 15 others injured after a bus travelling from Pechound to Ramnagar plunged into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district on Wednesday morning.

The accident occurred around 8 am at Gulli Gala in Basantgarh tehsil after the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to skid off the road. The bus was severely damaged in the incident, prompting a major rescue operation.

Emergency response teams and senior officials, including the sub-divisional magistrate, rushed to the spot. Local residents also assisted in evacuating the passengers.

The injured were taken to the Public Health Centre in Basantgarh and the Sub-District Hospital in Ramnagar for treatment. Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said 10 injured passengers had reached the Ramnagar hospital, while three of them were being shifted to Government Medical College in Udhampur. Three additional ambulances were also being sent to the hospital.

Singh, who represents Udhampur in the Lok Sabha, spoke to District Commissioner Ananth Dwivedi after learning about the accident. He directed the administration to ensure that the injured received appropriate treatment and that all necessary rescue and relief measures were taken.

In posts on X, the minister said his office was in constant touch with the administration to coordinate assistance.

He also said he had taken up the issue of constructing the Ramnagar-Basantgarh road with Border Roads Organisation authorities in New Delhi.

The latest accident comes less than a week after another road mishap in Udhampur district. On October 15, 18 people were injured when a minibus skidded off the road and plunged into a ditch near Johnu. No casualties were reported in that incident.