Kishtwar tragedy: mini-bus falls into gorge, two dead, 14 hurt

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Two people were killed and 14 others injured when a vehicle carrying workers from a private company skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, officials reported. The accident occurred near Dangduru as the workers, employed on an under-construction power project, were returning in a mini-bus from the dam site. A rescue operation was quickly initiated, with two bodies recovered so far, and the injured being rushed to the hospital. Expressing condolences, Minister Jitendra Singh assured all necessary assistance for the affected individuals. He said, "I have just spoken to Kishtwar's Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Kumar Shavan after receiving news of the unfortunate accident in Dandaru. Two casualties have been reported, and more updates are awaited. Meanwhile, the rescue operation is underway, and my office is in constant communication."

In a separate incident, three people died after their vehicle plunged into the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday morning (November 30). The accident occurred near Prem Nagar, Jammu. A 70-year-old woman, Poori Devi, has been recovered so far. According to Jammu and Kashmir’s Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) of Traffic, Mukhtiyar Dev Singh, the accident took place at around 8:30 am, at Kandote, between Prem Nagar and Thathri. The victims—Ranjeet Kumar (25), along with his relatives Beli Ram and Puran Devi—were traveling from Charya village to Jammu when their vehicle collided while coming from the wrong direction on a 40-foot-wide highway before plunging into the river.