Four dead, eight injured in Rajouri car accident

Four passengers, including three women, died and eight others were killed after a Maruti Eeco van plunged into a deep gorge in Rajouri district?s Thannamandi area.

Four passengers, including three women, died and eight others were killed after a Maruti Eeco van plunged into a deep gorge in Rajouri district’s Thannamandi area during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.

A police officer said 12 people were travelling in the vehicle against a capacity of seven when it skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge.

The accident occurred around 2.25 am on Thannamandi-Bhangai road.

Thannamandi is around 162 km from Jammu.

The dead were identified as Shamim Akhtar (55), Rubina Kouser (35), Zarina Begum (38), and Mohammad Younis (37), all natives of Bhangai.

A police officer said 12 people were travelling in the vehicle against a capacity of seven when it skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge.

“Three passengers were killed on the spot while nine others were injured critically. One among the injured succumbed to the injuries at Thannamandi sub-district hospital,” he said.

Remaining eight injured were later shifted to government medical college and associated hospital at Rajouri for specialised treatment.

The officer said those on board the ill-fated vehicle were returning home after attending a relative’s funeral in Bufliaz area of Poonch district.

The police have registered a case and investigation has been initiated.