Asif Iqbal Naik
KISHTWAR
A tragedy hit Tagood village of Kishtwar district when a mini-bus returning from Sarthal Devi Matta temple met with an accident near Bandarkot Kishtwar, some 8 KM from district headquarter Kishtwar resulted into the death of three teenagers including a newly married youth while 34 other passengers had miraculous escape.
The vehicle after meeting with the accident stopped few millimetres away from 300 meter deep gorge.
As per details available with Kashmir Life, 21 seater mini-bus (Matador) bearing Registration No JK 17-3057 was on its way to Tagood village of Kishtwar district along with the Yatris who were on pilgrimage to Sarthal Devi Matta temple situated some 50 KM from village Tagood.
As the bus reached near Bandarkot, the driver of the vehicle lost his control over the speedy vehicle as a result of which it skidded off the road.
The eyewitness told the Kashmir Life that five people were sitting on the roof top of the vehicle and when the accident took place, three persons among those sitting atop the bus fell into the 500 meter deep gorge resulting into their on-spot death.
34 other passengers survived the fatal accident as one of the front tyre of the vehicle suck in to stones.
The eye witnesses added that as soon as the accident took place their was hue and cry among the passengers on board who started rushing out of the ill-fated vehicle and brought the matter in to the notice of police which immediately rushed to the spot and started rescue operation to trace out the missing persons.
“A passenger told us that the driver was driving the bus in high speed right from Sarthal village till he reached Kishtwar Bus Stand,” police sources said.
A police party comprised of Dy SP HQ Kishtwar Touseef Rishu and SHO Sameer Jeelani immediately swung into action first spotted the dead bodies under the dark night with the help of high mask lights provided by army and later with the help of ropes reached the dead bodies lying into 400 to 500 meter deep gorge.
The cops with the help of the army personnel from 11 RR and Red Cross volunteer Asgar Ali Sheikh brought out the dead bodies from the deep gorge after three hour long hectic operation. The bodies were later shifted them to district hospital Kishtwar.
The deceased were identified as Ashwani Kumar (17 yrs), son of Shambu Nath, resident of Kandna Tagood; Sanjay Kumar (20 yrs), son of Sewa Ram, resident of Gangna Tagood and Deeraj Kumar (15 yrs) – a 7th class student, son of Chuni Lal, resident of Wasdevna Tagood.
Sanjay Kumar was married only a few months ago.
While talking to Kashmir Life SSP Kishtwar Sandeep Kumar Wazir who was also present at the spot said that police have registered an FIR against the driver of the vehicle.
Both driver and the conductor fled from the spot after the accident, he added.
Minister of State for Transport Sunil Kumar Sharma along with Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Ghulam Nabi Balwan also reached the spot to take stock of rescue operation.
The driver who escaped from the spot was identified by the police sources as Yasir Malik.
