38 killed, 20 injured in fatal  Doda accident

38 killed, 20 injured in fatal  Doda accident

POONCH TODAY NEWS

DODA: At least 38 people were killed, and several were injured when a bus carrying passengers skidded off the road and rolled down into a 300-foot gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on November 15. Injured passengers were airlifted to Jammu for treatment. “The incident that happened in Doda is very unfortunate in which several people died and 19 injured were brought to GMC hospital in Doda. Of them, 4 people were critical and have been airlifted to Jammu,” says Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar on Doda bus accident. The bus, bearing registration number JK02CN-6555, was reportedly carrying around 40 passengers, officials said, adding that it skidded off the road near Trungal-Assar on the Batote-Kishtwar national highway and fell 300 feet downhill. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs. 50,000 would be given to the injured. “The bus accident in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir, is distressing. My condolences to the families who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest,” PM Modi said on X. A rescue operation has been launched, and some bodies have been retrieved. Police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel, besides locals, are involved in the rescue operation. Some of the injured passengers have been shifted to a hospital. “Deeply anguished to learn about the loss of precious lives due to a tragic bus accident in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir. The local administration is conducting the rescue operation in the gorge where the bus had the accident. My heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Amit Shah said on X.