Jammu, Oct 9: Two persons were killed and 21 others injured after a passenger vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a gorge in the Badhog area of Moghla in Rajouri district on Friday evening.
Officials said the vehicle, bearing registration number JK20C-8295, met with an accident while returning from Marchola village.
After the accident, locals and police personnel launched a rescue operation and shifted the injured to Primary Health Centre (PHC) Moghla for treatment.
The deceased were identified as Balbir Singh (45), son of Suram Singh and Pritam Singh, son of Sant Ram, both residents of Moghla.
The injured were identified as Kaushal Singh (23), son of Rattan Singh; Joginder Singh (80), son of Tirath Singh; Ambika Sharma (45), daughter of Gidish Kumar; Kaushalya Devi (65), wife of Tirath Singh; Babli Devi (30), wife of Tara Singh; Kamal Singh (55), son of Bhim Singh; Digpal Singh (50), son of Sansar Singh; Sanjay Kumar (30), son of Mool Raj, resident of Thalka; Rano Devi (61), wife of Bihari Lal; Shardi Devi (60), wife of Sajib Singh; Darshana Devi (35), wife of Deepo Singh; Sudesh Kumar (50), son of Karnail Singh; Satya Devi (70), wife of Tarlok Singh, resident of Badhog; Bindo Devi (35), wife of Joginder Singh; Satvir Singh (60); Parvez Singh (65), son of Chander Singh; Bimla Devi (60), wife of Hari Singh; Neelam Devi (40), wife of Rakesh Singh; Joginder Singh (45), son of Janak Singh; Sundar Singh (60), son of Dilip Singh; and Sanyogita Kumari (55), wife of Sundar Singh.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed anguish over the loss of lives in the accident.
“Deeply anguished by the loss of lives in a tragic road accident in Rajouri. My heart goes out to the families who have lost their loved ones and prayers for the swift recovery of those injured. I've directed the Dist Admin to ensure the best possible treatment to injured,” he said in a post on X.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also expressed grief over the accident and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families.
He directed the district administration to expedite rescue operations and ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured.
Police have taken cognisance of the incident and initiated an investigation.