39 killed in bus accident in J&K's Doda, 17 injured

At least 39 people died and 17 others were injured after a passenger bus veered off a mountain road and rolled 300 feet down a hill onto another road in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

- Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

The private bus — with 56 people, including the driver, on board — left Kishtwar around 8.20am for the five-hour and 200km long journey to Jammu, but around 11.50am, the driver of the bus lost control in Doda district’s Assar area, said the police.

The accident occurred at Trungal in Assar on National Highway 244 (NH244) that connects Khanabal in Anantnag district to Batote in Ramban.

“Prima facie, overspeeding and negligent driving appear to be the reason behind the accident. However, a thorough probe will make things clearer. There was a sharp bend on the highway (NH244), but the road was in good condition and the bend had a double protection in the form of a parapet and crash barriers. The bus dislodged them and rolled down the hill,” said Doda senior superintendent of police (SSP) Abdul Qayoom.

Initially, 33 bodies were pulled out of the mangled metal heap of the bus at the foot of the gorge. “The dead are being identified. They largely belonged to Kishtwar and Doda district,” said Qayoom. The driver was reported to be among the dead, he added.