Srinagar, Mar 08: Two pedestrians were killed after they were hit by a speedy ambulance near Children Hospital in Bemina area of Srinagar early Wednesday morning, officials said.
Police officials said that two pedestrians identified as Ali Mohammad Dar, a resident of Nowpora, Baramulla and Fayaz Ahmad Chopan, a resident of Hadipora, Rafiabad were critically injured after they were hit by the ambulance in the wee hours on Wednesday.
Both the injured were shifted to nearby JVC hospital for treatment, where doctors declared them dead on arrival, the officials said. Police said that the ambulance was carrying a patient and was on its way to JVC from Sumbal, Bandipora.
A police official said the high-speed ambulance took the wrong route from Tayato Ansari Showroom at Bypass to Children Hospital Bemina. The incident happened at 2 a.m.
The driver of the ambulance has been arrested, while the vehicle was seized under relevant sections of law and further investigation of the incident is going on. Meanwhile, police have registered an FIR number 29 of 2023 and taken up further investigation in the matter.
The bypass near Children Hospital Bemina lacks a U-turn with people, especially attendants facing inconveniences due lack of an overhead footbridge and zebra crossing outside the hospital.
Attendants from different areas of Kashmir visiting the hospital on a daily basis said the lack of overhead footbridge is compelling people to cross the road in a jiffy which is risky.
When the 500-bedded hospital was thrown open in September then the attendants had raised the issue with the authorities but till date, nothing has been done in this regard.
The attendants demand construction of an overhead bridge outside the valley’s lone pediatric tertiary care hospital just like the one constricted near JVC few years before.
Shakir Ahmad, an attendant from Budgam said he recently had a miraculous escape when he crossed the road along with his two ailing children during a traffic jam outside the hospital.
“Attendants have to go out to buy medicines 24/7 as this is a new hospital and there are no private pharmacy shops near the hospital. The authorities should take note of this issue. There are chances of a road accident and one happened today,” he said.
In Dec 2022, the Roads and Buildings Department had said that they will assess the requirement of overhead bridge but till date, nothing has been done.
“We will also check the road safety parameters. It is a highway and the highway does not have more crossings. But we can explore the possibilities for an overhead bridge which can be done by conducting a road safety audit,” said an official of R&B Department.
