A tragic accident occurred on Saturday evening when a bus returning from the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine veered off the road and fell into a 30-foot gorge near Jammu. The driver, identified as Rakesh from Himachal Pradesh, lost his life at the scene, while 17 pilgrims sustained injuries. The bus, with registration number UK-07PA-5640, was on its way to Delhi when it crashed near Manda, approximately eight kilometers from the Jammu bus stand.
A swift rescue operation was launched, and all 17 injured passengers, hailing from Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh, were rescued and rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital. Fortunately, their condition was reported as stable. However, the driver’s body was recovered after more than two hours of strenuous efforts by a team of police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), traffic police, and fire and emergency personnel.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed his condolences, extending heartfelt sympathies to the deceased’s family while praising the prompt and efficient work of the rescue teams. He also wished the injured passengers a speedy recovery, acknowledging the hard work of the officials involved in the operation.
