Kishtwar (J&K)

At least 17 passengers were killed and 16 others injured when a mini bus skidded off the road and plunged into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Friday, officials said.

The accident occurred at Dandaran, near Thakrai, when the driver of the mini bus, which was on its way to Kishtwar from the Keshwan area, lost control of it and the vehicle plunged into the 300-foot gorge, near the Chenab riverbed, on Friday morning, they said.

“A total of 17 persons died and 16 others injured in the unfortunate incident,” District Development Commissioner Angrez Singh Rana said.

He said the dead included three women and the driver of the ill-fated vehicle, Ashraf Hussain.

Rana said most of the victims died on the spot. One of the 11 critically injured persons, airlifted to Jammu for specialised treatment, was declared brought dead by doctors at the Government Medical College Hospital, Jammu.

The District Development Commissioner, who led the operation along with Senior Superintendent of Police Rajinder Gupta, said, “The next of the kin of the deceased will be given an ex gratia relief of Rs 5 lakh each, while Rs 50,000 will be given to each of the injured persons.”

He lauded the Army, police and locals for their swift action in initiating the rescue operation.

They said five of the injured were undergoing treatment at a local hospital and their condition was stated to be “stable”.

Jammu-based Army spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand said the Indian Air Force had pressed a MI-V5 chopper into service and airlifted eight critically injured victims from Kishtwar to Jammu.

Three other injured were evacuated by a Pawan Hans chopper, Rana said.