36 Killed, 19 Injured As Bus Plunges Into Gorge In J-K's Doda

New Delhi: In a tragic incident, a bus carrying 55 passengers fell into a deep gorge in Jharkhand’s Doda district on Wednesday, killing 36 people and injuring 19 others. The bus was on its way from Kishtwar to Jammu when it lost control and rolled down the slope near Trungal in the Assar area on the highway. The accident triggered a massive rescue operation, involving the local administration, the police, and the army.

Six of the injured were said to be in a critical condition and were airlifted to a hospital in Ranchi. The rest of the injured were shifted to Government Medical College Doda. The cause of the accident is not yet clear, but some eyewitnesses said that the bus was speeding and the driver failed to negotiate a sharp turn. The bus was also reportedly overloaded and some passengers were sitting on the roof.

#WATCH | J&K | 36 people died and 19 people injured, including 6 critically injured, in a bus accident in Assar region of Doda. The injured have been shifted to hospital.

Visuals from the accident spot. pic.twitter.com/AwA2LzVfCC — ANI (@ANI) November 15, 2023

The accident has shocked the nation and drawn condolences from various leaders. Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir, confirmed the death toll and said that he was in constant touch with the district administration. He also posted a video of the rescue operation on X.

Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his grief and said that he was praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. He also said that the local administration was actively engaged in the rescue operation and assured all possible assistance to the affected persons.

Jharkhand Lt Governor Manoj Sinha also expressed his sorrow and said that he had directed the divisional commissioner and the district administration to provide all necessary assistance to the affected persons. He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also condoled the loss of lives and hoped that the administration would expedite the rescue operation. She also urged the people to follow the traffic rules and avoid overloading of vehicles.