Image showing a vehicle in a gorge. For representational purposes.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Srinagar: A tragic road accident in the Paddar area of hilly Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday left at least four people dead, officials said.
Reports said the accident occurred when a vehicle, travelling along a narrow, treacherous mountain road in Sanyas Paddar area, plunged into a deep gorge.
Local residents and police rushed to the site of the accident, recovering the bodies of four victims. The deceased have been identified as Raj Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, Haqiqat Singh and Satish Kumar.
The Chenab Valley which consists of Ramban, Kishtwar and Doda districts, has become a hotspot of road accidents in recent years. Known for its treacherous terrain and curvy roads, the Valley is proving to be a death trap for travelers. In the last few years, hundreds of people have lost their lives, leaving their families shattered.
In the Chenab Valley, there were 113 road accident deaths in 2019, followed by 64 in 2020, a total of 91 in 2021, 81 in 2022, and a spike of 114 fatalities in 2023.
In an accident on November 15, 2023, around 39 people died and dozens were injured when a passenger bus skidded off the road and fell into a 300-feet deep gorge in the Assar area of Doda district. In 2019, in a similar accident, 35 people were killed and 17 were injured in Kishtwar district.