10 killed, 55 injured as bus carrying pilgrims to Vaishno Devi shrine falls into Jammu gorge

As many as 10 people were killed and 55 injured after a bus carrying pilgrims to the Vaishno Devi shrine skidded off a bridge and fell into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Tuesday.

The bus, which was on its way to Katra – the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the famous shrine atop Trikuta hills,  met with the accident in Jajjar Kotli area, they said.

“Rescue operation is almost complete. SDRF team is also present on the spot. The bus was carrying more passengers than the prescribed limit and will be probed during the probe,” said Chandan Kohli, SSP Jammu.

As the word spread about the accident, local residents and police immediately rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation.

The injured were taken to the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu.

“CRPF, Police and other teams are also here. Ambulances were called and the injured were immediately rushed to the hospital. Bodies have also been taken to the hospital. A crane is being brought here to see if someone is trapped under the bus,” said Ashok Choudhary, Assistant Commandant CRPF, had said earlier.

“We are being told that the bus was coming from Amritsar and that people from Bihar were onboard. They perhaps lost their way to Katra and reached here,” he added.

On 21 May, a 27-year-old woman was killed and 24 people were injured when a Rajasthan-bound bus carrying Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims overturned in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district.

With inputs from agencies

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