2 killed, 16 injured in Jourian accident

Jammu, June 2: Two persons were killed and sixteen others were injured, four of them critically, when an over-speeding mini-bus turned turtle at Dhangri-Kaleeth in Jourian of Akhnoor sub-division in Jammu district on Sunday evening.

A senior police officer stated, “This evening, a minibus, bearing registration number JK02AQ -8477, on its way from Akhnoor to Mille Di Khui, overturned at Dhangri-Kaleeth, near Jourian, resulting into an on-spot death of two passengers. Sixteen other passengers also sustained injuries. All injured have been shifted to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Akhnoor and Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital, Jammu.”

“Cognisance of the incident has been taken. Prima facie, it seemed that the accident occurred due to negligent, rash driving. Investigation has been set into motion after registering a case in this connection. However, the exact cause behind the accident would be known only after the completion of investigation,” he said.

An FIR 93/2024 u/s 279/337/304-A IPC in this connection has been registered at Akhnoor Police Station. Two deceased were identified as Dewanshu Bhagat, 27, son of Harbans Lal, resident of Kharah and Kewal, 35, son of Chuni Lal, resident of Sarmala Khour.

Out of sixteen injured, twelve are under treatment at SDH Akhnoor while four with critical injuries have been referred to GMC Hospital, Jammu. Earlier on May 30, twenty-two pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana, on way to Shivkhori shrine in Reasi district, were killed and sixty-nine others were injured when an overcrowded bus they were travelling in, had fallen into a deep gorge near Tanda in Akhnoor sub-division.