Three people, including a Class 5 student, died on Wednesday when a bus packed with 53 students skidded off road in north Kashmir’s Tangmarg area. Five, among the 38 grievously injured students, were critical.
The 53-seater bus (JKE-6144), which was ferrying students of the Iqra Educational Institute, Kupwara, lost control while negotiating a sharp curve near the Baba Reshi shrine, 55 km north of Srinagar.
“The bus rolled, at least, 30 feet down the gorge. It got stuck inside a canal upside down,” said constable Abdul Ahmad, who was among the first to reach the spot.
The incident took place at around 11:30 am when the bus was on the way to Baba Reshi for excursion. The bus had started from Kupwara.
Three people --- Jehangeer Ahmad Dar (25), a teacher; Owais Manzoor, a Class 5 student; and Akhtar Hussain, the driver --- were killed on the spot.
An army helped to turn the bus around to rescue the trapped students. Vehicles from several taxis stands also ferried injured to Srinagar. “The rescue operation was on for one hour. The nearby hospitals were filled with students in a pool of blood,” said a doctor.
Locals accuse the police and medical department of poor services. “We ferried most injured in private vehicles. No ambulance was available. Students were all in a pool of blood,” said Ishfaq Ahmad, who volunteered in the rescue operation.
{{/usCountry}}Locals accuse the police and medical department of poor services. “We ferried most injured in private vehicles. No ambulance was available. Students were all in a pool of blood,” said Ishfaq Ahmad, who volunteered in the rescue operation.
{{/usCountry}}Blocking the Tangmarg-Baba Reshi road, angry protesters accuse the local administration of not attending the dilapidated road, which has developed deep crevices and trenches all along the stretch.
Meanwhile, among the 53 injured, five critical students were shifted to Srinagar’s Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences.
Kashmir witnesses a huge rush of schools to picnic spots as part of extracurricular activities.