Seven die in Srinagar road accident

Seven people were killed here Wednesday when an army truck collided with a taxi, triggering mob fury.

Police said three of the passengers in the taxi died instantly after the accident near the HMT crossing on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, 10 km from the city centre Lal Chowk.

Four of six injured taxi passengers, including a woman, later succumbed to their injuries.

"Two passengers are being treated in hospital," a senior police officer told IANS.

A mob gathered at the accident site and damaged the army truck that was part of a convoy on the highway. The protesters stoned police personnel who rushed to the spot.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah offered condolences to the families of the dead.

The army issued a statement regretting the "tragic incident". Police have registered a case.

Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani has called a shutdown Thursday in the Kashmir Valley against the accident and the continuing Israeli air attacks in Gaza.