Jammu and Kashmir: 21 pilgrims killed as bus falls into gorge in Akhnoor
Passengers hailing from Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, were on the bus. They were going to the Shiv Khori shrine in the Reasi district from Jammu city
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On Thursday, a bus in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor city plunged into a steep gorge near the Tanda area, resulting in at least 21 deaths and 40 injuries.
Passengers hailing from Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, were on the bus. They were going to the Shiv Khori shrine in the Reasi district from Jammu city.
The bus plunged into a ravine near Kali Dhar Mandir on the Jammu-Poonch route.
The wounded were sent to Government Medical College in Jammu and a nearby hospital in Akhnoor.
“A bus carrying passengers from Hathras, Uttar Pradesh has met with an accident near Tanda, Akhnoor in Jammu. Rescue operations are underway,” the District Magistrate of Jammu said in a statement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow at the fatalities caused by the incident.
“Anguished by the loss of lives due to a bus mishap in Akhnoor. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover soon,” PM Modi said.
“Rs 2 lakh would be given to the next of kin of each deceased due to the bus mishap. The injured would be given Rs 50,000,” he added.
