Kangan, Mar 23: A family vacation ended in a tragedy when four persons including three members of a family from Mumbai, Maharashtra, and a local cab driver from Srinagar died in a motor accident in Ganderbal district on Sunday.
Officials said four persons including three tourists from Maharashtra and a local driver died when a passenger bus (JKO3 6078) and a cab (MP04TB 1999) carrying tourists to Sonamarg collided near the Gund area of Kangan in Ganderbal district, leaving 17 persons injured.
The cab, which was carrying tourists, suffered severe damage, resulting in the death of four occupants, including the driver.
Following the accident, locals, volunteers of Civil Society Gund, rescue teams, Police, and CRPF rushed to the spot, shifting the injured to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Kangan for urgent medical treatment where the critically injured were referred to Srinagar hospitals for further specialised treatment.
Medical Superintendent of Trauma Hospital Kangan, Dr Salma Bhat said that four persons died while 17 others were brought to the hospital, among them 10 injured had been referred to Srinagar hospitals for specialised treatment and seven were undergoing treatment at Trauma Hospital Kangan.
“A total of 21 people were brought to the hospital of which four persons were brought dead,” she said. “Two of the injured were referred to Bone and Joint Hospital, while eight have been referred to SKIMS. Five persons are under observation and are in stable condition. Two persons are in critical condition but hopefully they will get well soon,” she said.
Officials identified the deceased as Hetal Ashish Pari, 45, Nikki Ashish, 14, and Leisha Ashish, 19, all residents of Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The fourth victim was the driver of the vehicle, Faheem Ahmad Badyari of Soiteng, Srinagar.
Earlier, SSP Ganderbal Raghav S, SDPO Kangan, and SHO Gund reached the accident spot to monitor the rescue operation.
They later visited the Trauma Hospital Kangan to check with the injured persons.
