Srinagar, Jul 01 (KNS): At-least 35 people were killed and 17 other injured in a tragic road accident in Kishtwar district when a minibus passenger vehicle crashed into a gorge.

Officials in district administration Kishtwar said that the 27-seater bus coming from Keshwan to Kishtwar town was overcrowded with passengers and the driver was driving with speed.

The accident occurred near Sorgwari today morning when the minibus bearing registration number JK17-6787 skidded off the road while negotiating a bend on the road.

District administrator Kishtwar Angrez Singh Rana told Kashmir News Service (KNS) that the Matador which met an accident in was over crowded and the driver was driving fast.

“Our initial reports reveal that the driver of the vehicle was driving fast and the mini bus was overloaded with passengers,” Rana said.

“We have registered a case and stared investigation into the accident,” he said.

The authorities airlifted many injured to GMC Jammu for treatment.

The fatal accident has raised questions over the district administration and traffic authorities as traffic accidents have now become a norm on the hilly roads of Jammu region especially in Kishtwar, Doda, Rajouri and Poonch.

On June 27, 11 students who were on picnic to Mughal Road were killed when a bus they travelling in crashed into a gorge.

The Governor Satyapal Malik has expressed grief over the accident and he has announced ex-gratia of five lakh rupees for the victims.

The Governor has asked the officials to cancel the licences of untrained drivers.
"Most of the accidents take place due to careless and untrained drivers who drive without any regard for rules and regulations," he said.

The Governor said that probes will be ordered to investigate the reasons for such accidents and strong decisions will be taken in next SAC meeting for strict action.

Meanwhile, Traders Union in Kishtwar called for closure of school and business activities as a mark of condolence and a protest for overcrowding and against traffic accidents. (KNS)