Tragedy
69 killed, 132 injured this year in road accidents in JK
Jammu: Ten major road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir have resulted in the death of 69 persons and injuries to 132 this year, so far, officials said on Monday.
According to Press Trust of India, fifty-five people lost their lives and 56 others were injured in five accidents in the past 24 days.
While 35 persons were killed and 17 others injured in an accident in Kishtwar on Monday, 11 students were killed and seven others injured when a bus fell into a deep gorge off Mughal Road in Shopian district on June 27.
Similarly, 18 persons were injured in a mishap in Kishtwar district on June 22. Nine persons were killed in Leh on June 8 when their vehicle rolled down near Chang La pass.
Three persons were killed and five others injured in Udhampur on June 5, followed by injuries to 14 persons in another mishap in Doda district on June 14.
On May 30, three persons were killed and 10 others were injured when a vehicle rolled down the road into a gorge in Doda, while six others were injured in a similar accident in Rajouri on April 28.
“Mass-casualty bus crashes have become a norm in India, especially in hilly states like Jammu and Kashmir. Only 10 days back, 18 passengers, including children, were injured in a similar road crash in Kishtwar. India’s hill roads are notorious for poor road safety infrastructure,” said Eilia Jafar, Chief of Programs at SaveLIFE Foundation.
Jafar said frequent road crashes point to the fact that there is an urgent need to bring in key interventions like installation of crash barriers and signages at dangerous stretches, as prescribed by government guidelines.
