SRINAGAR: At least nine state employees, including a doctor and an officer, died when an official cab that belonged to the state’s Sheep Husbandry Department rolled into a 400 meter deep gorge near Kaaj Morh of the deadly Kishtawar-Sinthan road early Tuesday morning.
The tragic accident has once again brought into sharp focus the inordinate delay in rebuilding the 20 Km rough and rugged road stretch of the Kishtwar-Sinthan highaway that connects Anantnag district with the Chenab Valley. Doda, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Rambhan and parts of Gool are together called Chenab Valley, after the legendary river that passes through these districts.
A senior police official told news outlets over phone that a Tata Sumo bearing registration number JK17-0840 skidded off the mountainous road and fell into a deep gorge at Kaaj Mode near Potato farm in Chattroo area, 70 kilometers away from Kishtwar town.
Soon after the news about the mishap spread in the area, locals, army men, police and district administration officials rushed to the spot and launched joint rescue operation, the official said.
He said that in the incident, all the nine persons traveling in the vehicle that belonged to Sheep Husbandry Department Kishtwar were injured critically. Among the injured three persons died on way to the hospital while the remaining five succumbed to injuries in the Sub-district hospital Chattroo in the district.
Among the dead is District Officer Sheep Husbandry Kishtwar, Mohammad Rafiq Akhoon and eight other employees of the department, the official said, adding that the ill-fated vehicle was on its way to Warwan via Sinthan top for organizing a special camp of the department to facilitate better Medicare to the livestock in the area.
The camp had been organized following a meeting chaired by Minister of State for Home, Industry and Commerce Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo at Deputy Commissioners office Kishtwar few weeks back. The minister had directed all the officers in the district to hold camps and address problems of the people in far flung areas.
The official identified all the deceased persons as Dr. Mohammad Rafiq Akhoon, 57, of Kishtwar, Sheep Husbandry Officer Kishtwar, Dr. Aamir Kamal, 30, son of Ghulam Nabi of Kishtwar, Abdul Rehman Reshi ,58, of Chattroo, Irshad Ahmed Wani, 42, a Medical Assistant son of Ghulam Mohammad of Shuri Chattroo, Ghulam Ahmed ,58 of Mullar, Chingam, Sat Lal Supervisor ,40, of Berabhatta, Ramesh Kumar, 40, Driver, of Loidhar, Darshan Kumar Assistant Stockman ,52, of Samba and Abdul Kareem ,26, of Balana, Sigdi, Kishtwar.
After conducting all medico-legal formalities and autopsy, police handed over the dead bodies of deceased to their relatives for last rites. Police have registered a case and started further investigations in this regard.
Meanwhile, a pall of gloom descended in the villages when the bodies of the deceased reached their respective places, witnesses said.
Meanwhile G M Suroori, an MLA from Inderwal, which falls adjacent to Kishtwar has blamed General Reserve Engineering Force for Tuesdays accident. “The 20 km stretch of Kishtwar-Sinthan road where accident took place is in deplorable condition causing lot of inconvenience to the people from Kishtwar-Sinthan. I have already urged the Union Government to immediately release remaining Rs, 344 Crore for Kishtwar-Sinthan road for improving road condition including surfacing and pre-mixing of road.
State Home Minister, Sajjad Ahmad have also condoled the deaths yet he was not accessible soon after this accident. The Rs. 640 Crore Kishtwar-Sinthan-Batote road project has constantly been questioned for wrong planning, corruption and use of substandard material in the construction.
A committee was formed few years ago to ascertain the cause of recurrent accidents on the road. The committee had observed that due to the Baghlihar power project the mountainous stretch was now eroding. But later the official ruled out the dam angle.
The road that passes through the 12500 ft Sinthan top was supposed to be ready in 2012. Not just has the deadline elapsed but the cost too is believed to have escalated from the initial Rs.640 Crore to around 850 Crore.
“The government is simply ignoring this issue. Hundreds have perished on this deadly road and the authorities are displaying worst form of callousness,” said a local activist Junaid.
CM grieved, approves Rs 9 lakh relief
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed deep grief over the road accident on Kokernag-Kishtwar road near Simthan Top in which 9 officials of Sheep Husbandry Department loss their lives.
The Chief Minister in his condolence message to the bereaved family and the department conveyed his solidarity and sympathy and prayed for peace to the departed souls.
The Chief Minister also announced Rs. 1 lakh each for the deceased in the accident.
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