Driver killed, 17 injured as bus carrying pilgrims falls into gorge near Jammu

NEW DELHI: A bus carrying pilgrims from Mata Vaishno Devi shrine met with an accident on Saturday evening near Manda, resulting in the death of a Himachal Pradesh driver and injuries to 17 passengers. The vehicle, registered as UK-07PA-5640, fell into a 30-feet gorge while en route to Delhi, approximately eight kilometres from Jammu bus stand.

Emergency services promptly initiated rescue operations after the driver lost control on a curve, causing the vehicle to plunge into the gorge.

The injured passengers were transported to the Government Medical College Hospital, where their condition was reported as "stable". The casualties included pilgrims from Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.

The driver, identified as Rakesh, was pronounced dead at the scene. A joint team comprising police, state disaster response force (SDRF), traffic police and fire and emergency services personnel spent over two hours recovering his body, which was subsequently moved to the GMC Hospital mortuary for post-mortem.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah expressed his condolences and praised the rescue teams. He posted on X, "Deeply saddened by the bus accident at Manda, carrying pilgrims from Katra to Delhi. My heartfelt condolences to the family of the driver who lost his life in this tragic incident.

"Thankfully, all injured passengers are stable and receiving medical care. Wishing them a swift recovery," he added.

"Grateful to the rescue teams and officials for their prompt and commendable efforts. My office is in touch with the concerned authorities," the post read.