18 injured, 6 injured as tempo traveller plunges 60 feet into gorge in J&K's Sonmarg

At least 18 people were injured after a Tempo Traveller carrying tourists plunged nearly 60 feet into a gorge near Gund Sumbal Power House in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district on Tuesday. Six of the injured are in critical condition.The accident took place in the Kangan area when the vehicle, travelling from the popular tourist destination of Sonmarg towards Srinagar, veered off the road and fell into the gorge.The impact triggered an immediate rescue operation, with local residents and police personnel rushing to the spot to evacuate the injured. Emergency arrangements were mobilised from different parts of the area as all the occupants required medical attention.Ambulances were called from several health facilities, including Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Sonmarg, Gund and Ganiwan. The injured were initially shifted to PHC Gund, where they received first aid and preliminary medical treatment. Doctors subsequently referred all 18 injured persons to Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, in Srinagar for further treatment. Six of them were reported to be in critical condition.INJURED INCLUDE TOURISTS FROM GUJARAT, WEST BENGAL AND PUNJABSub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Kangan Rajesh Raina confirmed the accident to Kashmir News Trust, saying that 18 people, including the driver, had sustained injuries. Raina said all the injured were first taken to PHC Gund before being referred to SKIMS Srinagar. He also confirmed that six of the injured were critical.A list of injured persons identified 12 occupants, including the driver. The list included tourists from Ahmedabad and Surat in Gujarat, Murshidabad and other parts of West Bengal, and Gurdaspur in Punjab.Among those named were Sharda Bi, 58, and Ramesh Bhai, 59, from Ahmedabad; Daysha, 42, from Surat; Shobha, 50, and Rajesh Kumar from Ahmedabad; and Swarnadyyti Ghosh, 24, Mala Ghosh, 48, and Surjeet Ghosh, 61, from West Bengal.Mukesh Bhai, Kala Ben and Rohan Bhai, all from Gujarat, were also included in the list. Jagdesh, a resident of Gurdaspur in Punjab, was identified as the driver of the Tempo Traveller.The injury details available in the list mention head trauma suffered by Sharda Bi, Ramesh Bhai, Daysha, Shobha and Rajesh Kumar. Swarnadyyti Ghosh sustained trauma to the hip, while Surjeet Ghosh suffered an injury to the left side of his chest.CAUSE OF ACCIDENT YET TO BE ESTABLISHEDThe exact cause of the accident remains unknown. However, a preliminary assessment suggests that overspeeding may have contributed to the driver losing control of the vehicle.The police are yet to establish the circumstances that led to the Tempo Traveller veering off the road and plunging into the gorge.The accident occurred on the route connecting Sonmarg with Srinagar, a stretch frequently used by tourists visiting the popular hill destination.- Ends