16-seater bus: 8 dead, 39 injured

Arun Gupta/Anubhav Misri JAMMU/POONCH, Nov 10: There seems to be no respite from accidents in Jammu region.

In yet another case of an unchecked overloaded passenger vehicle, eight precious lives were lost in Poonch district today.

The minibus carrying passengers' three times more than its original capacity plunged into a roadside gorge (Drungli nallah) near Bandi Chechian on Nuna Bandi-Poonch road, 12 kilometers short of Poonch this morning.

Eight passengers including one 4-month old baby were killed while thirty nine others sustained injuries.

Seventeen critically injured were airlifted to the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital while four others were sent to GMC by road.

Nine injured were undergoing treatment at the District Hospital (DH) Poonch while nine others were discharged after first-aid.

However, taking cognizance of the incident Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic Rural Varinder Sharma placed under suspension a sector officer Poonch, ASI Traffic Mudassir Hussain for his neglect to curb overloading.

Deputy Commissioner Poonch has also ordered probe to ascertain the reason behind the mishap and appointed Assistant Commissioner (Revenue) Poonch TR Sharma as enquiry officer.

Resentment brewed among the people in district over the failure of Traffic cops to check the menace of over-loading.

They blamed the traffic officers of corrupt practices which they said led to such accidents and loss of precious lives.

However, agitated over the delay in airlifting of seriously injured persons to GMC, people staged protests at airfield Poonch and they shouted anti-administration slogans.

Reports said that an overloaded minibus bearing registration number JK12-2456, which was on its way from village Nuna Bandi to Poonch town skidded off the road near Bandi Chechian and fell into a deep gorge when the driver failed to negotiate a sharp curve at 10 AM.

The minibus was carrying 47 passengers three times more that its actual capacity of 16 passengers when the mishap occurred.

The driver failed to negotiate a sharp curve and a portion of a parapet gave away due to extra weight of overloaded minibus.

The minibus fell down in a 100 feet deep gorge with several passengers trapped in the debris of the mangled vehicle.

The luggage and limbs of some of the passengers were seen lying near the accident site.

It were the local people from Bandi Chechian who reached the accident site first followed by the police and troops from nearby army unit.

They immediately and started rescue operation.

They brought out the dead and injured and shifted them to District Hospital Poonch where eight passengers were declared as brought dead.

Seventeen critically wounded persons were airlifted to GMC Jammu while four others by road in Ambulance and rest nineteen were admitted to the Poonch hospital out of which nine were discharged after first-aid.

The deceased have been identified as Irshad Ahmed, 18, son of Mohammad Hussain, Mohammad Sharief, 65, son of Raj Mohammad, Mohammad Afzal, 27, son of Mohammad Sharief and Mohammad Ashraf, 70, son of Khudha Baksh all residents of Bandi Chechian, Shezad Ahmed, 19, son of Muzaffar Hussain Shah and Sarfraz Husaain,22, son of Latief Hussain Shah both residents of Qusaba, Noorian (age 4 months) daughter of Mohammad Hafiz of Gandrian and Talib Hussain, 70, son of Safdar Ali of Mandi Poonch.

The injured who were airlifted to GMC hospital Jammu were identified as Tanveer Ahmed, 25, son of Kamal Din of Qusaba, Mohammed Shafi, 50, son of Subla of Bandi Chechian, Nishad Begum, 38, daughter of Muzaffar Hussain Shah of Qusaba, Shazia Parveen, 21, daughter of Mohammad Quazam of Bandi Chechian, Javed Iqbal (driver), 27, son of Sharif Din, of Jhulas, Abdul Latief, 50, son of Akbar Shah of Nunabandi, Jalal Din, 40, son of Noor Mohammad of Bandi Chechian, Ghulam Fatima, 45, wife of Mohammad Azam of Khenetar, Nazarat Hussain, 18, son of Razaq Hussain Shah of Nunabandi, Mohammad Shabir, 18, son of Mohammad Shafi of Bandi Chechian, Mohammad Shafi, 14, son of Fateh Mohammad of Bandi Chechian, Malika Bi, 38, wife of Showkat Hussain of Qusaba, Mohammad Riaz Ahmed (conductor), 20, son of Mohammad Shabir of Jhullas, Ishrat Begum, 39, wife of Muzzafar Hussain of Nunabandi, Rakia Begum, 35, wife of Sadiq Hussain of Nunabandi and Jamal Din, 65, son of Noor Mohammad of Bandi Chechian.

The injured shifted to GMC Jammu by road were identified as Hari Har Parsad, 35, son of Jayanti Parsad of Uttar Pardesh, Khatullah, 32, son of Mehrama of Bihar, Hasan Din, 22, son of Qamir Din of Gultharia and Basharat Hussain, 31, son of Mohammad Sharief of Nunabandi.

The injured who were treated in District Hospital Poonch were identified as Mohammad Latief, 45, son of Sharief Din of Qusaba, Mohammad Hafiz, 40, son of Nazir Hussain of Kerni, Shah Mohammad, 60, son of Quar Din of Qusaba, Shah Nawaz, 10, son of Niaz Ahmed of Bandi Chechian, Mohammad Iqbal, 35, son of Mohammad Alam of Qusaba, Mohammad Din, 25, son of Noor Mohammad of Nunabandi, Qualzoom, 31, son of Mohammad Fiaz of Qusaba and Parveen Akther, 45, wife of Mohammad Safir of Qusaba.

However, people staged protest against the administration for delay in arrival of chopper for airlifting of seriously injured passengers.

The accident took place at 10 am while chopper landed Poonch airfield at 4 pm which irked the people.

They shouted slogans against DC Poonch.

However, the protestors were pacified by Chib, who informed that the issue was immediately taken up with army but it took time for completion of requisite formalities.

The protestors informed Minister that several complaints regarding overloading were lodged at the concerned quarters but no action was taken in this regard.

Minister for Youth Services and Sports and Medical Education RS Chib, who rushed to Poonch soon after the mishap, distributed Rs 5,000 as relief among the injured.

He added that ex-gratia for the kith and kin of the deceased would be announced by the government in a meeting at Jammu soon.

''A sector officer Poonch, ASI Traffic Mudassir Hussain has been suspended for his neglect to curb menace of overloading and inquiry has been initiated against him,'' Varinder Sharma, SSP Traffic Rural said.

District Deputy Commissioner Poonch Kuldeep Khajuria had ordered probe to ascertain the reason behind the mishap and appointed Assistant Commissioner (Revenue) Poonch TR Sharma as enquiry officer and submit report within week.

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