Banihal: An Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel died after his car skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in Ramban district on Tuesday, officials said.
The accident took place at Maroog along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway when Sergeant, Directorate of Mechanical Transport (DMT) at Air Headquarters, Sarafraz Ahmad Bhat, was heading for Kashmir.
A rescue operation was launched soon after the vehicle rolled down into the over 300-feet gorge, the officials said, adding Bhat was found dead on the spot and his body was later retrieved by rescuers.
Bhat was a resident of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
Separately, three persons including a minor were injured after their vehicle was hit by shooting stones in Chamalwas area of Banihal in district Ramban on the national highway, police officials said.
They said the vehicle – a Tempo Traveller – was on its way to Banihal from Udhampur when it came under the shooting stones.
A police official said that all the three were from UP and have received head injuries. They were shifted to Emergency Hospital Banihal from where they were referred to GMC, Anantnag for further treatment.
The police identified the injured as Lakshit Gupta, 10; Mega Rastogi, 55; and J. K Gupta, 35 – all from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
“The woman among the injured is critical,” the official said.
