Eleven students, including nine girls, died when the vehicle they were travelling in fell into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district on Thursday.
The accident happened when the vehicle skidded off the road and rolled down the gorge near Pir Ki Gali. “Seven others were injured in the accident,” said the police.
All the victims belonged to Poonch in the Pir Panjal Valley, and were students at a computer institute. They were on a excursion to Pir Ki Gali.
“One critically injured person has been referred to a Srinagar hospital for specialised treatment,” said Deputy Commissioner, Shopian, Owais Ahmad.
Governor Satya Pal Malik expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex gratia payment of ₹5 lakh each to the next of the kin of the deceased.
Hurriyat leaders as well as mainstream parties expressed their condolences to the bereaved families.