Woman killed, 2 persons missing as car drops into Chenab River in J&K's Doda

Jammu (The Uttam Hindu): A woman was killed and two other persons went missing after the car they were travelling in dropped into the Chenab River in J&K’s Doda district on Saturday, officials said. The accident occurred after the driver lost control of the wheel, officials said.

"The accident took place at Shiva Bridge on Chenab River in Doda district in the morning. The car was going from Chariya village to Jammu city when the accident occurred. Immediately after the accident, a rescue operation was launched and the body of the woman was recovered from Chenab River while two other persons travelling in the car are still missing. It is likely that these two persons were swept away by the current and are feared dead. The operation to locate them, however, continues," an official said.

The hilly districts of Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, and Poonch in the Jammu region are notorious for bad roads and often fatal accidents are caused on these roads due to rash driving and overloading by passenger vehicles. J&K traffic police have started a campaign against driving by minors and people without a driving licence throughout the UT. The traffic police became hyperactive after two teenagers were killed in Srinagar city in a case of rash and unauthorised driving when their vehicle rammed into a parked truck on November 15.

In Srinagar city alone, over 3,000 vehicles including motorcycles, cars, jeeps, mini-buses etc have been seized by traffic police after these were found being driven by minors, people without a driving licence, or in utter disregard for road safety. The Traffic Department has requested parents and civil society members to realise their responsibility towards children and forbid them from driving. Driving by children not only endangers their lives, but also of others living on the roads. The Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Kashmir has advised the traffic police to invoke the provisions of Section 199A of the Motor Vehicles Act, pertaining to juvenile offences. Under this section, parents are liable to punishment once their wards are found driving unauthorisedly.