Bhadarwah/Jammu: Eleven people travelling in a mini-bus were killed and 14 injured when the vehicle skidded off the road and rolled down into a deep gorge on the Batote-Kishtwar highway in Doda district on Thursday, officials said.
The mini-bus, which was on its way from Thathri to Doda, fell into the gorge near Soi-Gwari, they added.
The driver, who was also among the dead, reportedly lost control of the vehicle and it fell downhill on the banks of the Chenab river, the officials said, adding that the incident occurred early in the morning.
Police, Army and SDRF personnel, assisted by locals, launched the rescue operation. The injured people were rushed to the GMC hospital in Doda, where doctors declared nine of them “brought dead”.
Superintendent Associate of the hospital Dr Yudhvir Singh said of the 25 people brought to the hospital, nine were declared dead and two succumbed to the injuries subsequently.
Seven of the nine who were brought dead were identified as Ghulam Hussain Shah (60), his son Shabbir Ahmed (30), Rhitik Sharma (19), Jammal din (23), Mohammad Latief (65), Annari Devi (55) and Bahadur Singh (65), the hospital authorities said, adding that Santosh Kumar (22) and Rajesh Kumar (24) died at the hospital.
Two bodies are yet to be identified, they said.
Six of the injured people were airlifted to the GMC hospital in Jammu for specialised treatment as their condition was critical, the authorities said.
