Kupwara, July 30: A government school teacher was killed and more than 50 others, mostly students, were injured after an overcrowded passenger bus overturned near Behnipora village in the Rajwar area of north Kashmir’s Handwara on Wednesday morning.
The buswas en route to Upper Rajwar when the driver reportedly lost control and hit a pedestrian walking along the roadside. The deceased, identified as Irshad Ahmad, a resident of Bakiaker, Handwara, was a government school teacher and died on the spot.
Following the accident, a prompt rescue operation was launched by local authorities, police, army personnel, and volunteers. Several NGOs, including J&K Action and We The Helping Hands, assisted in evacuating the injured, earning praise from the local community.
According to officials, 35 injured persons were shifted to GMC Handwara, while 15 others received first aid at the Zachaldara health centre.
Dr.AijazBhat, Medical Superintendent at GMC Handwara, said the hospital received more than 50 patients.“Most were stable, though one with serious orthopedic injuries was referred to Srinagar. Several have been discharged, while others are still under observation,” he said.
TehsildarHandwara, Zeeshan Khan, said the administration responded swiftly.“Our priority was to ensure timely medical aid. All injured persons were attended to without delay,” he noted.
Eyewitnesses and residents raised serious concerns over the overcrowding of the bus, which reportedly had over 60 passengers at the time of the accident. This incident has reignited debate over passenger safety and lack of enforcement against overloading in the region.
This is not the first such case in the area. A similar accident had occurred in Vodhpora earlier this year, which also involved a school bus.
Meanwhile, a senior police officer confirmed that a case under relevant sections of the law has been registered, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident and fix responsibility.
