Kulgam: Eleven major road accidents were reported in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district last month in which five persons lost their lives and over a dozen were injured.
As per the police reports, eleven road accidents took place in district Kulgam during the month of April in the jurisdiction of four Police Stations (PS) of the district: Damhal, Devsar, Kulgam, and Yaripora.
According to the police reports, on April, 15 a mini bus bearing registration number JK03-8621 turned turtle at Khur-Batpora area of Damhal Hanjipora. Two persons of Watoo and Manzgam villages lost their lives, besides five others got injured.
Nazir Ahmad Magray (30), the bus conductor, of Watoo was among the two who lost their lives in the accident.
Another person who died in the accident was a minor, Musaib Manzoor Wagay, son of Manzoor Ahmad Wagay of Manzgam, who used to work in an automobile workshop at Nihama in Kulgam.
Wagay had left his studies midway to feed his poor family by working as a mechanic.
In another road accident, Sikander Ahmad Laway (32), son of Wali Mohammad Laway was hit by a passenger auto on April, 17 when he was crossing the road at Chawalgam in Kulgam.
Sikandar battled for his life at SKIMS, Srinagar for three days and on April, 19 succumbed to his injuries.
In another untoward road mishap, on April 19, an octogenarian, Khatija was hit by a WagonR vehicle near the main entrance of her house at Mirhama in Kulgam.
One more accident, on April 22 took place at Devsar in which a person namely Sheeraz Ahmad Dar (25), son of Gulam Nabi Dar of Churat-Devsar in Kulgam was seriously injured. He was shifted to District Hospital Kulgam and then referred to Srinagar for further treatment. Dar later succumbed to his injuries.
While expressing their concern about the road accidents in the Kulgam district, locals here said that there are huge number of minor accidents which take place in the district but the same go unreported.
“The driver involved in a particular accident reconciles with the others involved and the issue gets resolved then and there,” the locals alleged adding that such accidents are not brought into the notice of police which encourage people to escape this crime.
“Police should take the cognizance of every single accident taking place in the Kulgam district, minor or major, so that those involved are brought to justice,” they added.
When contacted Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO), Kulgam, Jamsheed Rasool Choudhary, said: “I have been appointed here recently. We haves started Road Safety Campaign in the district,” said Choudhary.
A top police official in the Kulgam district urged the youth to wear helmets while riding a bike. “If a youth can spend 1lac to buy a bike why can’t he afford a helmet of worth 1000 rupees for his own safety,” the official said.
