Three Army personnel died after their vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a 700-foot-deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district on Sunday, officials said.
The accident took place around 11.30 am near Battery Chashma when the Army truck, part of a convoy heading from Jammu to Srinagar along National Highway 44, lost control.
A joint rescue effort involving the Army, police, SDRF, and local volunteers was launched immediately. All three soldiers inside the vehicle were found dead at the scene.
The deceased have been identified as Sepoys Amit Kumar, Sujeet Kumar, and Man Bahadur, according to PTI. Their bodies are being recovered from the gorge.
Officials added that the impact of the crash left the vehicle completely mangled.
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Similar accidents in J&K recently
In a similar incident reported in March, two people were killed after a load carrier transporting fresh vegetables skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in Ramban district, according to a police officer quoted by PTI.
The victims, driver Arshid Ahmad and his helper Seva Singh—both around 30 years old—were returning to their village, Ukhral Pogal-Paristan, when the accident occurred near Battery Cheshma along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
{{/usCountry}}The victims, driver Arshid Ahmad and his helper Seva Singh—both around 30 years old—were returning to their village, Ukhral Pogal-Paristan, when the accident occurred near Battery Cheshma along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
{{/usCountry}}A joint rescue operation involving the police and local volunteers was launched, and the bodies were recovered from the gorge, which was several hundred feet deep, the officer said.
In a separate incident that also occurred in March, four people were killed and eight others injured after the vehicle they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge in the Reasi district, officials said.
The accident happened in the Gangode area when the driver reportedly lost control of the tempo traveller, causing it to plunge into the gorge.
Rescue teams from the local police and SDRF reached the spot promptly to assist. Three people died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital. The eight injured passengers were admitted to the hospital for treatment.