Seven dead after vehicle carrying power project workers rolls down hill in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar

People gather around the crashed vehicle after the accident. PTI Photo

Seven persons were killed and three others suffered critical injuries after a vehicle carrying workers of a power project rolled down a hill in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Wednesday. Two of the slain were residents of Jharkhand.

The incident took place amidst heavy rains near Dangduru power project site in remote Dacchan area around 8.35 am.

Since the accident, officials said, hundreds of workers have been staging a protest at the work site demanding the company to compensate the families of the victims and pay for the treatment of the injured.

"Seven persons are confirmed dead and three others critically injured in the accident," Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, Khalil Ahmad Poswal told PTI. He said the injured were rushed to a hospital by the rescuers who were helped in the operation by locals.

According to the officials, the driver of the vehicle lost control while negotiating a blind curve and drove down the hill.

The vehicle turned into an iron mangle after falling down several hundred feet before coming to halt, they said, adding six persons were found dead on-the-spot, while one more succumbed while on way to hospital.

Victims were identified as Itwa Singh and Rahul Kumar of Jharkhand, Sudesh Singh of Kastigarh, Akhter Hussain of Dangduru, Abdul Rashid of Banjwar, Mubashir Ahmad of Doda, and Karan Kumar of Karur.

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The injured - Ravi Giri of Bihar, Muhammad Gareeb of Ramban, and Varun Sharma of Kishtwar - were admitted in Kishtwar district hospital, the officials said.

Former chief ministers Ghulam Nabi Azad of Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) and Mehbooba Mufti of Peoples Democratic Party, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari, J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina, the National Conference and the People's Conference have expressed grief over the accident.

Senior DPAP leader and former minister G M Saroori visited the injured in the hospital and demanded sterner road safety measures.

"I once again expect that authorities will ensure enough safety measures as occurrence of such accidents are witnessed every alternate day. Smooth traffic movement on such hilly terrain needs immediate attention," Saroori said.