2 dead, 26 injured in accidents in J&K's Doda district

Two persons were killed and 26 others injured in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district on Friday, officials said.

A woman was among the two persons who died and a teenage girl was seriously injured after their car plunged into the Kalnai river on the Thathri-Kilhotran road in the afternoon, the officials said.

The three persons were rescued and taken to a hospital, where the doctor declared Dooni Chand and Neevi Manhas dead. The injured girl is still unconscious and undergoing treatment, said Mohd Anwar Banday, the sub-divisional magistrate of Thathri area, adding that an investigation was on.

In another incident, a bus carrying 35 passengers overturned at Gatsu area of the district in the morning, Superintendent of Police Shabir Ahmed Malik told PTI.

Twenty-five passengers were injured and five of them are critical. They are undergoing treatment at the district hospital, while those who are critical might be shifted to the GMC in Jammu, the officer said.

According to a preliminary report, the 30-seater bus, which was travelling to Jammu, was going up the hill when the driver lost control of the vehicle due to a brake failure, causing it to slide down, Malik said.

Luckily, the bus did not tumble down the hill to the Chenab as the driver steered towards the left to avoid the river on the right, but in turn caused the vehicle to overturn on the road, the SSP said.