Driver killed, 17 pilgrims injured in Jammu bus accident

Jammu, Feb 22: In a tragic incident late Saturday evening, a bus carrying Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims met with an accident near Manda Zoo in Jammu, injuring seventeen people. The driver of the ill-fated bus died at the scene, police said.
The bus, with registration number UK 07 PA 5640, of MS Ram Dayal Travels, was en route from Katra to Delhi when it fell into a gorge near Manda Naka, Panjtirthi, Jammu.
SSP Jammu, Joginder Singh, confirmed the accident and said that the injured were immediately rushed to Government Medical College, Jammu (GMC-Jammu) for treatment. “The rescue operation is being carried out by JKP, Traffic Police, SDRF, and Fire and Emergency Services personnel,” he added.
Dr Ashutosh, Principal of GMC, stated that the injured are still being brought to the hospital’s emergency department. “Various medical tests, including CT scans, ultrasound, and X-rays, are being conducted. It’s too early to determine the severity of their injuries,” he said.
The injured have been identified as Anjaly (58), Nitesh (35), Sudhir Maheshwari (age unknown), Subhash (55), Vrinda (24), Shruti (25), Dhruv (18), Prachi Sharma (24), Vinodh Kumar (32), Kartikaya (28), Kalyani Sharma (25), Himanshu (20), Shreya (23), Sandhya (50), Akshaya (29), Atish (24), and Akansha (27), all hailing from various regions, including Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.
Authorities are still working to assess the full extent of the injuries, while efforts continue to ensure the safety and well-being of those involved.