17 killed, 25 injured as bus falls in gorge

Ramban, June 18 (UNI) At least 17 people were killed and 25 others injured when a private bus carrying them skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge at Battery Cheshma under Ramban police station in Doda district in the early hour today, police said.

Police told UNI that incident occurred at around 0530 hours on Jammu-Srinagar Highway when a bus rolled down the 400ft Deep Gorge, killing 15 persons on the spot, while two others passed away on way to hospital. All the injured have been admitted to Ramban Hospital where condition of at least ten of them is stated to be critical.

According to police, most of the victims were labourers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Nepal. Sixteen of the injured have been indentified so far and of these, two are from Rajouri district of Jammu region.

Senior officials from administration and police have reached the the spot with relief and rescue teams including doctors and Para Medical Staff, police said.

UNI RKS VD GC1127