SRINAGAR: A five-year-old kid and two women were killed and dozens injured as a truck, which was ferrying an extended family back from a picnic on Wednesday, turned turtle over the sandy patch of the road near Sangam in district Anantnag. Eyewitnesses said the accident occurred near Donipora locality and people from the nearby villages rushed to the spot for immediate rescue.
Police said the large lorry bearing registration number JK03B-8336 was carrying 52 members of different families of Shous Muhammad Pora of Kulgam district. The vehicle, police said, was on way to Shous Kulgam after returning from tourist resort Gulmarag. ” Near Donipora Sangam the driver lost control over the speedy vehicle on sandy road and it turned turtle,” a police official who was part of the rescue team the police had rushed to Sangam said.
The accident took place at 10.43 pm on Tuesday. So far three persons are dead and 37 injured, a police official said. We have registered a case vide FIR number 158/2014 under section 279 and 337 in Police Station Bijbehara and have started investigations.
Police identified the deceased as the five-year-old Irfan Ashiq Bhat, Nayeema Akhtar, 29, wife of Syed Abid Ali and Shameema Akhtar, 32, wife of Fayaz Ahmed Shiekh . The two daughters of the deceased Shameema Akhtar namely Rutba Jan and Pinki and her son Saqib Ahmed were also injured in the accident. Eyewitnesses said that the bodies were trapped inside the vehicle and were retrieved after an hour of rescue operation carried jointly by local residents of Donipora Sangam and police.
Most of the injured were children. The locals of Donipora where this accident took place made announcement on loudspeakers of the mosques, appealing the people to come out and take care of the injured. The women were seen carrying potable water and offering it to the injured. Reports said that there was chaos and confusion, hue and cry everywhere on the spot of the accident.
Soon after the news of mishap spread, the locals in hundreds from Shous Mehmoodpora Kulgam and its adjoining areas came on roads and rushed towards different hospitals. Six of those injured were shifted by police to SKIMS in critical condition while the six persons were referred to District Hospital Islamabad. Four others were taken to Sub-District Hospital Bijbehara.
Medical Superintendent SKIMS, Dr Farooq Jan said that out of the six injured admitted to SKIMS two were in a critical condition. One of the wounded persons namely Mudasir Ahmad Khandey had a broken jaw and was removed to Dental College Srinagar.
The scene at the accident site was frustrating. But we kept our nerves and managed to get the injured out of the bus, Muhammad Altaf of Donipora said adding that they informed police who arrived on the spot within shortest possible time.
Meanwhile pall of gloom descended on Shous village as the news of accident spread in the area and its adjoining villages. The women were seen wailing and beating their chest. Chaos and confusion prevailed in Shous and its adjoining areas soon after the news spread. The people came out of their homes and thronged the roads overnight. They were inquiring from each other about the accident, a local resident Tariq Ahmed said
Assistant Regional Transport Kulgam Mubashir Jan confirmed that the driver had not sought permission from neither State Transport Authority nor from Regional Transport Authority. He said explanation was being sought from the New General Mini Bus Association Islamabad as to how it allowed the driver to take such a large crowd for picnic without having the permission.
Political, social and religious leaders including the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Member Parliament Mehbooba Mufti, Mufti Muhammad Sayed, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami have expressed grief over the accident. Meanwhile the state government has announced Rs 10000 each to next of kin of the deceased and Rs. 5000 each injured through Red Cross. District authorities in Anantnag have extended relief to the affected families, DC Anantnag Saughat Biswas said.
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