Banihal, Jun 25: Two schoolchildren were killed when a dumper they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into the Chenab river in Ramban district on Tuesday, police said.
The driver and five other students were critically injured in the accident which took place on the Karol-Kundi link road near Jaishwal bridge, a police official said.
He said the driver of the dumper, which was on its way to Kundi village, had given lift to the children, including two of his own, who were returning from school.
The vehicle rolled down over 400-ft before submerging in the river, the official said.
A rescue operation was immediately launched and eight persons, including seven students, were evacuated and rushed to hospital. A girl and a boy succumbed to injuries at the hospital, he said.
The condition of most of the injured is stated to be “critical”, he added.
The official said an operation was underway to rescue another person who was reportedly travelling in the vehicle at the time of the accident.
In another incident, a driver of another dumper was killed when his vehicle plunged into a gorge in Doda district on Monday, the police official said.
The incident took place at Galginder on the Bhaderwah-Doda road. The deceased was identified as Bittu, a resident of Bareru village, he said. (With PTI inputs)
