AMN/ WEB DESK
At least 21 people were killed and 29 injured after a bus carrying pilgrims fell into a deep gorge in the Chungi Morh area of Akhnoor in Jammu district on Thursday afternoon, officials said. The pilgrims were headed towards Shiv Khori shrine in Reasi district.
Jammu’s district magistrate Sachin Kumar Vaishya said “The bus was carrying passengers from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh when it skidded off the road near Tanda in Akhnoor. Rescue operations are underway,”.
Residents of the nearby village were first to reach the spot. Troops of the White Knight Corps of the Indian Army and police personnel were engaged in the rescue operations.
J&K Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the incident. “The bus accident in Akhnoor, Jammu, is heart-rending. I condole the loss of lives and pray to the Almighty to give the bereaved families the strength to bear the irreparable loss. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,”